The University will face a changing faculty population over the next decade, as nearly one fifth of the faculty is expected to retire.
Approximately 277 of 1,500 currently tenured or tenure-tracked professors will retire over the next 10 years, according to a model developed in December, said Gertrude Fraser, vice provost for faculty advancement.
The predictions for future faculty retirement are based on University retirement data from 2000-2005, said Bob Lake, director of the Office of Learning and Development for the University's Human Resources.
The large number of retirees will create both challenges and opportunities for the University in selecting new faculty members, Fraser said.
"The problem is that one has to begin planning for a market where, nationally, other institutions are going to be hiring a lot of faculty too," Fraser said. "You're going to have schools hiring in the thousands."
Fraser added that the University will also face competition from other professional career fields available to potential faculty members, which could affect the University's ability to attract faculty, especially in the areas of science and engineering.
George Hornberger, associate dean of Arts & Sciences, said he is not very concerned about the large number of upcoming retirements, even though there will be extra costs associated with hiring new faculty members, including developing new laboratories and purchasing new equipment for the new faculty members.
"We certainly built [the cost] into our planning, so, overall, we're looking at an opportunity to increase the diversity of our faculty and to go into new and exciting areas," Hornberger said. "It's always exciting to hire new people."
In order to find qualified new faculty members, the University is reaching out to younger potential faculty members as well as to women, who have been gaining Ph.D.s in increasing numbers nationwide, Fraser said.
Fraser noted that the University's provost has brought faculty members together to reexamine current tenure and promotion policies. One idea being discussed nationwide is the creation of a new tenure track that could be appealing to younger academics, Fraser said.
"There might be possibilities for people to get on the tenure track but, then, for a period of time, move off the tenure track and then move back on," Fraser said.
Fraser also noted that the University has recognized the importance of reaching out to Ph.D. candidates from institutions with a history of producing "excellent" candidates, even when there is not an immediate job opening.
The University is similarly striving to create and maintain a diverse pool of potential faculty members who may not be familiar with the University's programs.
"We have to be more proactive," Fraser noted. "Depending where they come from, they don't know what we have to offer."
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