RECRUITING AND RETAINING FACULTY

Preamble

In late August 2001 the Director of the School of Computer Science, Andre Trudel, invited me to a meeting with the faculty where grave concern was expressed for the survival of the School. The fear for survival was not because of lack of students but because faculty are leaving and the School has difficulty recruiting new ones. The main reason seems to be low wages. Other reasons were such issues as high teaching loads and little time for research.

In early September 2001, the School of Computer Science called another meeting, this time attended by Michael Leiter, V.P. Academic, and again by me. The same concerns were discussed. At this meeting I committed to initiating a process that would determine the extent of this problem and explore possible solutions. The School of Computer Science was eager to have a solution by the time of interviewing candidates for July 1, 2002.

It became evident from casual conversations with faculty that it is not just Computer Science that is facing these problems. I therefore decided on the following process. First, the extent and breadth of the problem of recruiting and retaining faculty had to be documented. To this end all Heads and Directors were contacted and asked to respond with their concerns. Then at the September General Meeting of AUFA the main agenda item consisted of discussing the problem. The next stage was to explore solutions with input from all Departments and Schools. Solutions should be supported by the majority. The final stage will be to meet with the Administration to find ways to implement the solutions.

It is clear that if financial issues are a main concern, then solutions cannot be implemented without the Board changing its priorities and increasing the faculty salary envelope. To this end I have been analysing the Audited Financial statements of the University to determine how spending has changed over the years.

Problems in recruiting and retaining faculty

The results of the general call for concerns with recruiting and retaining faculty are documented in the Table below. It is clear that many Departments and Schools do have concerns, which range widely and include salary issues, teaching loads and difficulty finding work for spouses.

Low remuneration is a problem for several Departments and Schools. This is especially the case where qualified people with PhDs are sought by industry in such fields as Computer Science, Business, Geology, Chemistry and others. Where Acadia may offer starting salaries in the high $40,000 range, qualified people may get $20,000 to $30,000 more in industry and even at other Universities. For example, it was pointed out to me that one person applying for a tenure track position in Computer Science was offered $20,000 more for an equivalent position at UPEI. Typical solutions may be to offer new faculty market differentials or higher grid placement; however, this causes inequities or inversions within and/or among Departments and Schools.

There is a major difference between university appointments and employment in business. In the business world one can be laid off with very little notice whereas at a university, once a faculty member has tenure, employment is secure. Furthermore, at a University, faculty members have Academic Freedom; they can express their opinions without fear of retaliation.

A concern expressed by many Departments and Schools was heavy teaching loads. It is recognized broadly that Acadia has a high teaching load for all faculty. In the 10^th Collective Agreement the teaching load is specified in article 17.31 with the normal teaching expectation being 3 full-year credit courses. This amount of teaching does severely affect one’s ability to do research during the fall and winter terms.

Other concerns raised with regard to research were lack of equipment, poor facilities, little technical support, inadequate space and lack of machine, electronic and glassblowing workshops.

The process of advertising and offering positions is a concern that all Departments and Schools seemed to share. There is general agreement that advertising is done too late and that offers to successful candidates are delayed, thus jeopardizing the whole process.

Finally, a few Departments and Schools expressed the concern that because of Acadia’s rural location candidates may shy away. Also, because of the rural location the work opportunities for spouses are not that great.

In summary, several concerns are evident. The most serious ones seem to be remuneration and heavy teaching loads. Research is an important component of the promotion process at Acadia; however, with the heavy teaching loads there is little time other than during the summer to carry out research.

Table 1. Concerns expressed by Departments and Schools in Recruiting and Retaining Faculty.

SCHOOL/DEPT.	CONCERNS
Computer Science	¨ low remuneration ¨ heavy teaching load ¨ lack of time to do research
Chemistry	¨ salaries better elsewhere ¨ heavy teaching load ¨ lack of equipment
Political Science	¨ offers are made at other institutions when positions are just being advertised at Acadia
Geology	¨ low remuneration ¨ not enough Ph.D. candidates to choose from
Mathematics & Statistics	¨ low remuneration ¨ heavy workload ¨ working conditions--i.e. poor facilities
Business Administration	¨ salary inversions ¨ salaries at other Universities higher ¨ cannot compete with businesses and government--market differentials would help ¨ market differentials a must ¨ heavy workload ¨ low complement ¨ large market demand for faculty ¨ professional development
Psychology	¨ teaching load ¨ late in getting advertisements out ¨ location--living in a rural area ¨ complement
Biology	¨ location--spouses not being able to find employment
History and Classics	¨ teaching complement--large classes ¨ pressure to increase workload
Sociology	¨ salary not competitive with other universities ¨ student/teaching ratio has increased ¨ heavy workload ¨ not enough travel money ¨ need more technical support
Economics	¨ type of position (i.e. contracts) not making the offer appealing
Theatre Studies	¨ remuneration ¨ working conditions--i.e. inadequate space
Library	¨ lack of defined complement ¨ salary not competitive ¨ impossible workloads ¨ no time for research ¨ lacking in professional development and travel monies
Engineering	¨ non-competitive base salary ¨ teaching load ¨ failure to recognize legitimate professional experience ¨ short-term CLTs