U sees decrease in core faculty, increase in administration
David Veenhuis
Issue date: 3/1/10 Section: Campus
The UM-Flint Committee on the Economic Status of the Faculty (CESF) presented their annual report to the U-M Board of Regents in July. The report compares the salaries of UM-Flint faculty to those of peer institutions. It also highlights a decrease in core faculty and an increase in lecturers, administrators and academic programs.
“To me, it’s a serious problem,” chemistry and biochemistry Chair Robert Stach said. “I’ve talked to my colleagues on the faculty council and we all agree this is an issue we need to address and we need guidance on.”
The report classifies core faculty as professors, assistant professors and associate professors. Stach, who has been at the University since 1987, said the core faculty are responsible for overseeing research activities and independent study. He said lecturers aren’t required and in some cases aren’t allowed to do research because it is not a criterion for promotion.
“Everything is piling up on the tenured and tenure-track faculty,” Stach said. “All those activities are therefore falling on the shoulders of (core faculty) and that is becoming a big burden.”
Stach defined professors, assistant professors and associate professors as tenured and tenure-track faculty. He said an important aspect of being tenured is that a professor has the freedom to select the curriculum of a course.
“A college education is something that should broaden one’s mind,” Stach said. “If you aren’t being challenged to get out of your comfort zone, you’re not really being educated. Tenure gives us that academic freedom.”
Enrollment at UM-Flint has grown from 6,900 students in 2006 to 7,260 in 2008. The CESF report shows that the number of core faculty has only increased by four over that span and actually decreased by four since 2001. The report shows that the number of lecturers has increased by 24 and the number of administrators has increased by 107 since 2001.
Stach said that another difference between core faculty and lecturers is that lecturers are not allowed to chair departments.
“Being the chair of a department has become, basically, a full-time job,” Stach said. “You’re finding less and less people willing to take on the chair’s duties.”
The report also compared the 2008 salaries of UM-Flint professors – full, associate and assistant – to that of other institutions in the state, including UM-Dearborn. The average salary of a full professor at UM-Dearborn is $98,700 compared to $86,400 at UM-Flint. At the associate professor level the comparison is $78,600 to $67,400 and at the assistant professor level the disparity is $71,100 to $62,800.
“That’s problematic,” Stach said. “I know we are in an economic problem in this state, but we’re putting more and more duties on faculty, which is causing them to spend a whole lot more time, and we’re not giving anymore salary increases.”
Stach said that he is looking for faculty input. He said there is an open forum on Blackboard and that he planned on sending a faculty-wide e-mail. “One of the reasons I think the University of Michigan-Flint is a fantastic institution is the dedication of the faculty, especially the (core faculty),” Stach said. “But as you get more and more burden, you get worn out and that’s not healthy.”
University administration could not be reached for comment.
David can be reached at daveenhu@umflint.edu.
“To me, it’s a serious problem,” chemistry and biochemistry Chair Robert Stach said. “I’ve talked to my colleagues on the faculty council and we all agree this is an issue we need to address and we need guidance on.”
The report classifies core faculty as professors, assistant professors and associate professors. Stach, who has been at the University since 1987, said the core faculty are responsible for overseeing research activities and independent study. He said lecturers aren’t required and in some cases aren’t allowed to do research because it is not a criterion for promotion.
“Everything is piling up on the tenured and tenure-track faculty,” Stach said. “All those activities are therefore falling on the shoulders of (core faculty) and that is becoming a big burden.”
Stach defined professors, assistant professors and associate professors as tenured and tenure-track faculty. He said an important aspect of being tenured is that a professor has the freedom to select the curriculum of a course.
“A college education is something that should broaden one’s mind,” Stach said. “If you aren’t being challenged to get out of your comfort zone, you’re not really being educated. Tenure gives us that academic freedom.”
Enrollment at UM-Flint has grown from 6,900 students in 2006 to 7,260 in 2008. The CESF report shows that the number of core faculty has only increased by four over that span and actually decreased by four since 2001. The report shows that the number of lecturers has increased by 24 and the number of administrators has increased by 107 since 2001.
Stach said that another difference between core faculty and lecturers is that lecturers are not allowed to chair departments.
“Being the chair of a department has become, basically, a full-time job,” Stach said. “You’re finding less and less people willing to take on the chair’s duties.”
The report also compared the 2008 salaries of UM-Flint professors – full, associate and assistant – to that of other institutions in the state, including UM-Dearborn. The average salary of a full professor at UM-Dearborn is $98,700 compared to $86,400 at UM-Flint. At the associate professor level the comparison is $78,600 to $67,400 and at the assistant professor level the disparity is $71,100 to $62,800.
“That’s problematic,” Stach said. “I know we are in an economic problem in this state, but we’re putting more and more duties on faculty, which is causing them to spend a whole lot more time, and we’re not giving anymore salary increases.”
Stach said that he is looking for faculty input. He said there is an open forum on Blackboard and that he planned on sending a faculty-wide e-mail. “One of the reasons I think the University of Michigan-Flint is a fantastic institution is the dedication of the faculty, especially the (core faculty),” Stach said. “But as you get more and more burden, you get worn out and that’s not healthy.”
University administration could not be reached for comment.
David can be reached at daveenhu@umflint.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jim Anderson
posted 3/09/10 @ 10:15 AM EST
While I agree with Professor Stach that the declining numbers and lagging pay of UM-Flint's tenured/ tenure track faculty are problems, I strongly disagree with him on the use of the term "core" faculty to describe that group. (Continued…)
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