Critical Reasoning

The board of a state university is considering a proposed policy that would greatly increase the amount of research professors are required to publish each year, saying it will improve the output and visibility of the university. This policy would, unlike previous research policies, only be applied to faculty hired after its adoption, so it is surprising that the university's current professors are protesting against it.

Which of the following, if true, would best explain the opposition of current professors to the proposed policy change?

Under the current policy, professors at the state university are not required to increase the amount of research they publish each year.

In order to maintain their status at the university and earn salary bonuses, faculty must match the research output of their colleagues.

The quality of research that professors publish each year does not necessarily result in improved status among their colleagues.

Other state universities have their own research requirements - in some cases, quite a bit above the standards of this university - for certain areas of study.

Liberal Arts professors make up the majority of the university's professors, and are currently required to publish a significantly greater amount of research than professors in the Sciences.

This is a paradox question.

"Why would the current faculty be opposed to a new rule that does not apply to them?"

It is likely that someone this rule is going to impact them, somehow.

So we look at this one and we see how it does impact the current professors. Choice B shows us how it does impact the current professors. If all faculty members must match the output of their colleagues - in order to maintain their status - then the current professors will have to match the output of the new professors and in a way, the requirement will be imposed on them as well!