At least 54 full-time, tenured professors have left The University of Memphis in the last two years, many for better-paying jobs at other universities.
“Money is the critical issue,” said Ralph Faudree, U of M provost.
Data from the U of M Office of Institutional Research show 54 fewer full-time, tenured faculty members in Fall 2001 than in Fall 1999. The data does not show whether the professors quit, retired or died. The Office of Institutional Research tabulates the data once a semester, so the tables do not show a position that was vacated then filled in the same semester.
Faudree notes that while The U of M may have 54 fewer tenured full-timers, it does not necessarily have 54 unfilled positions. He said about one-third of the 54 vacancies are presently filled by full-time, “fully qualified” professors who are not yet eligible for tenure, and additional positions are filled by visiting professors who fill in on the classes while The U of M searches for permanent replacements. But Faudree admits there are more unfilled positions than ever.
“It’s the unfilled positions that are hurting us now,” Faudree said. “The lower the salary, the longer it takes to fill the position.”
Faudree said U of M professors’ median salaries are only 84 percent of median salaries at peer institutions, which include the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the University of Louisville.
For example, full-time U of M English professors’ median salary is $55,251 per year. University of Louisville English professors earn an average of $65,790 per year. The national median salary for English teachers is $74,276 per year.
The Fogelman College of Business and Economics lost 11 full-time, tenured professors, more than any other college or department on campus.
Eight of those 11 professors left for jobs at other schools, said Dan Sherrell, associate dean of faculty for the Fogelman College of Business and Economics. Three left to fill Chairs of Excellence at their new schools.
“Full-time employees are leaving for other institutions where they make far more money than here,” said Joann Keyton, faculty omsbudperson.
Keyton said that losing tenured professors means losing high-quality, devoted teachers.
“It’s not healthy for The University as an organization, and it’s not good for the students,” Keyton said. “Tenure-track professors are the kind of professors students want to have.”
The Fogelman College of Business and Economics, like other departments, is filling its vacant full-time positions with part-time or adjunct faculty. But the college had to cut back on part-timers as part of its ongoing bid for reaccreditation, so it nixed 24 part-time positions.
Although the loss of 11 of 72 full-timers and 24 part-timers is a tough blow to the college, Sherrell takes an optimistic approach to the situation.
“Other schools’ interest in the College of Business just means we obviously hire good people,” Sherrell said.
John Pepin, dean of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics, said the college is now filling vacant spots with only full-time professors. The college hired seven full-timers this fall, and is searching to fill nine vacancies.
Pepin credits U of M president Shirley Raines with providing the money and help the college needed to lure full-timers.
“Dr. Raines has been extremely supportive,” Pepin said.
Faudree said some faculty turnover is a good thing.
“You want a certain amount of turnover because otherwise you don’t get new faculty, new ideas, new blood,” he said.
