Written Response for the Board of Governors to the AAUP Faculty
Attrition Report
FACULTY RETENTION: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Board has received a Faculty Attrition Report dated December
1999 from Keith Doubt, the president of the local chapter of the
American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Included
here are additional data that may help expand upon the information
included in the AAUP survey results.
The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs provided
the faculty attrition data to the AAUP in October 1999 for use
in compiling, their report. The data provided included the names,
status (tenured, tenure track, or temporary) and general reasons
for leaving, for full-time faculty
who were employed the Fall 1994 semester, or hired subsequently,
and who left the University prior to the Fall 1999 Semester.
The data provided herein differ slightly from that reported
by the AAUP. Information of this nature is not easy to categorize
or track, but what is presented here is the result of the most
recent analysis and a more detailed breakdown.
Truman records show that a total of 180 full-time faculty left
the University during this five-year period. During this 5-year
period the number of full time faculty (including- faculty on
sabbatical and leaves of absence) was Academic Year (AY) 95 -
348, AY 96 – 357, AY 97 – 355, AY 98 –
350, AY 99 – 362. The average per year turnover of faculty over
this 5-year period is 10.2%.
To further clarify, the turnover rate has been categorized
below as either. Planned (turnover anticipated by the University
such as sabbatical replacements, retirements, rotational positions,
etc.) or Unplanned (resignations, deaths).
Total Planned Turnover for the last 5 years:
47 Hired temporarily as sabbatical leave of absence replacements
[9.4
average per year]
5 Hired as a one-year Huenemann Lecturer [I per year]
19 Hired temporarily because of the inability to hire a tenure
track
faculty member for an open position [3-8 average per year]
30 Retired [6 average per year]
24 Hired for a designated temporary, rotational position by the
discipline or
division f communication, art, Japanese, mathematics, biology,
chemistry, physics, justice systems 1 [4.8 average per year]
2 Not rehired because position and/or program discontinued
3 Temporary faculty left to pursue advanced degrees
Subtotal Planned Turnover: 130 (72.2 % of losses) fan average
of 7.3 % of
the average total faculty
Total Unplanned Turnover for the Last 5 Years:
2 Died
6 Not tenured hired as AB D did not complete dissertation in 7
years, 2
teaching performance, 1 research) [1.2 average per year]
2 Left because of health problems (after leave of absence)
4 Resigned as result of legal agreements
5 Resigned for an advanced position at another university
31 Resigned for miscellaneous reasons [6.2 average per year, 1.7%
average
per year]
Subtotal Unplanned Turnover: 50 (27.8 % of losses) fan average
of 2.8 % of
the average total faculty
The AAUP obtained the addresses of 50 faculty members who departed
Truman during this period, of which 24 responded to their survey.
Thus, the results of the survey are based on 25 of 180 people
(13.9%). The AAUP report further states that of the 3 1 (University
count – 30)) faculty members who retired, many took early retirement
and moved on to gainful employment elsewhere. It should be noted
though, that an Academic Affairs review found that 22 of the 30
retirees remained in Kirksville, and. that only two are employed
full-time in businesses in which they were involved while on the
Truman faculty. Of the 8 retirees living outside of
Kirksville, only two are known to be employed full-time.
Since January of 1997, several initiatives have been undertaken
to improve faculty recruitment and retention:
o Reduction in teaching, loads (Fall 99 University average
is about 9 credit
hours per semester per faculty member)
o Establishment of University-wide new faculty mentoring program
o Increase in internally funded faculty research -rants to
$240,000
annually (a 20% increase over previous years) and -rant award
amounts
increased to a maximum of $5,000.
o Course Development Grants Established for Liberal Studies Program
course
development
o New faculty interest-free loan program
o New faculty moving, expense allowance
o Increased resources for Faculty Development
o Increased privileges for spouses (currently in planning, –
including
expanded library privileges, book store discount, etc.)
o Faculty representation on University health benefits committees
Conclusion
Truman has expanded the number of full-time faculty positions
every year for the last three years. We have been careful when
hiring tenure track faculty, and have hired temporary faculty
members as an interim measure while continuing the search for
quality, tenure track people that fit the University’s values
and liberal arts and sciences mission. While resulting in more
turnover, this deliberate hiring, practice and more faculty taking,
sabbaticals should benefit the institution in the long run. We
are concerned when quality tenured or tenure track faculty members
resign and we continue to take actions to focus on faculty retention.