UT plans for loss of about 100 professors

With the retirement of around 100 professors by the end of June, the University of Toledo is initiating a new faculty hiring plan that will take place over the next three years.

John Barrett, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, is leading the faculty hiring plan and described how it worked in a more simple manner.

“The easiest thing to do would be to print a copy off so you can read it,” Barrett said. “Basically, they [deans] get their plans approved, place ads, department interviews, find somebody they like, and request to hire, which will be given if there is a budgetary spot to do it and if it is in conformity with the plan.”

Barrett also said that by following this hiring plan, the university can look towards saving around $1 million in total salaries because most of the new hires will be “coming in cheaper.”

Linda Rouillard, executive member of Faculty Senate, voiced her concerns about the plan.

“My concern is that the hiring plan will be heavily biased towards hiring lecturers rather than tenure-track faculty,” Rouillard said. “I think that unless this institution is willing to commit itself to people who are committing their careers to this institution, that we will be that much poorer for that.”

Kristin Iacopelli, an English professor, had some concerns of her own.

“The only thing of concern is when you retire older professors, you lose those years of wisdom and knowledge that not only teach the material, but other valuable information that only comes with life experience,” Iacopelli said.

Iacopelli said she thinks UT is losing an entire generation of instructors who have a more traditional approach to teaching.

“There are trusted names on campus, some of which I have seen leave in the seven years I’ve been here,” said Robert Worthington, a seventh-year law and social thought major. “I just really feel that that hurts the academics here. I think experience is really the key.”

Clayton Notestine, Student Government president, said there could be some negative consequences with the number of professors leaving.

“Naturally, this is going to be at least a little bit negative,” Notestine said. “But, I have faith in both provost John Barrett and President Naganathan and all of the Faculty Senate, that they will be able to handle the issue with this new hiring plan.”

Rouillard said she does not think as many professors will be retiring as the university believes.

“I think that there will not be as many departing as they anticipate,” she said. “I think that with every faculty member that we lose, we are losing some precious resources.”

According to Barrett, if the plan is successful, students should be better prepared for their post-college life.

“We will have the size of faculty in the various departments to allow us to deliver our teaching mission,” Barrett said.

Rouillard, however, said she believes all of the new hires have the potential to negatively affect the students.

“I think that if they hire people as lecturers and overload them with teachers, students will not have the individualized attention that they need,” Rouillard said. “If you’re going to be student-centered, you hire a faculty with schedules that allow them to devote as much time as possible to individual students.”

She also said that if lecturers are hired to teach introductory classes of one hundred to two hundred students, they won’t be able to know their students individually and lead them on to successful professional careers.

Iacopelli said the new hires would be good for students and they would bring a “more welcoming and innovative environment with professors who are connected to the information age.”

According to Barrett, the hiring plan was chosen to take place over three years so that the different colleges have time to find somebody that they are really excited about.

“On the whole, the hiring plan has been very favorably received. I think they like the idea that the plan is more college-centric,” Barrett said. “I’m not pushing some balance or formula, I’m saying that [the departments] need to figure out what’s right for their unit. I’m trying to build a general perception and culture that when you get the chance to hire, hire the best, the most amazing person you can and fall in love with that person.”