UNC Continues Hiring Faculty During Budget Cuts

Posted on Dec. 7, 2009

In a year in which the University lost $60 million from its state appropriation — including elimination of about 300 positions and approximately 100 other layoffs — hiring of new faculty slowed but by no means stopped.

Almost 230 faculty members were hired across the University.

“Some people have retired and some endowments have continued to survive,” said Bruce Carney, interim executive vice chancellor and provost. “Funds have been found that way. Many of the budget cuts were taken out of noninstructional sectors, so there has been money available.

“We’re actually, in fact, teaching more credit hours and teaching more seats in classes than last year. One of the things that has enabled units to, in fact, increase course offerings is that not only did they hire people, but fewer people retired.”

The University is hiring at about 80 percent of normal, Carney said.

Since most other U.S. universities also are not hiring at full force, the competition among campuses for prospective faculty members has decreased. The overall quality of the selection pool is higher, Carney said, and UNC has won most of its faculty retention fights and snagged its top choices in position applicants.

In the College of Arts and Sciences, 39 tenured or tenure-track faculty have been hired, said Dee Reid, director of communications for the college. That’s a drop from the usual 45 to 60 additions. Thirty-four fixed-term faculty members were hired this year as a result of searches made before the budget cuts; many of those are lecturers who teach foreign languages and English composition who are filling vacancies or needs from increased student enrollments.

“Faculty are teaching larger classes with less administrative support,” Reid said. “Staff are doing more work with smaller administrative teams.”

Instead of cutting courses, the college handled student population increases by bumping up class sizes.

---

More online…

• Carolina Budget Information
  Includes:
  Messages from Chancellor Thorp
  Recent Budget Communications
  Emergency Budget Guidelines
  Flexible Furlough Program
  Bain Interim Report (video presentation)
  Related Links
  Budget News Across the UNC System
• N.C. House Leans Toward Softer Budget Cut for Universities
  News report from June 2009
• UNC Awaits Budget Action; Double-Digit Cuts Possible
  News report from June 2009
• UNC Faces 5 Percent Cut in Governor’s Budget
  News report from March 2009
• Furloughs, Layoffs Options as UNC Faces Budget Cuts
  News report from February 2009

---