More than 70 new tenured and tenure-track faculty have arrived at the university this semester, with more on the way. While many are filling vacant positions, the numbers are nonetheless significant, said Provost Jere Morehead.
“What these numbers represent is a definite step in replenishing the ranks of tenured and tenure-track faculty at UGA that have been eroded over several years of budget cuts,” Morehead said. “Even with continued constraints on the budget, there is going to be a continued and concerted effort to add back full-time faculty and to create new positions as we are able to do so.”
Some of the new faculty are in positions funded at least in part by a $4 million faculty hiring initiative announced by President Michael F. Adams in his 2010 State of the University address. Additional positions that are part of that initiative will be filled throughout this academic year as searches now under way are concluded. A total of 25 positions will eventually be filled across 13 of UGA’s schools and colleges.
The $4 million initiative included a $2 million salary allocation, with an additional $2 million allotted for one-time startup costs, such as equipping laboratories for researchers in the sciences.
A second faculty hiring initiative was approved by the president this fall. It includes a $2.5 million salary allocation, with an additional $2 million for one-time startup costs.
Deans were invited to submit proposals to the provost’s office for additional critical hiring needs. Once positions are approved as part of the second initiative, searches will begin during the current academic year for appointments beginning in fall 2011.
Morehead said he hopes at least another 25 new faculty can be hired through the second initiative.
“Both President Adams and I have said that faculty hiring is our top priority and that this will be a sustained effort” said Morehead. “I know from talking to deans and department heads that there is a good bit of excitement about these new hires and the talent that we have been able to attract to the University of Georgia.”
The new faculty who arrived at UGA this fall include seven full professors, five associate professors and 61 assistant professors. Nearly half of the new hires are women.