Faculty return rates remain high
The faculty’s strong ties to this school support these low turnover rates. Associate Professor Michael Riley is satisfied teaching at GCSU.
“It was a really good choice (to come teach at GCSU),” Riley said. “I love how our national standing keeps increasing.”
Assistant Professor Myron Ávila is thankful for his chance to teach here.
“It was a good opportunity (to come to GCSU),” Ávila said. “There’s been a few challenges, but overall it’s been a good experience.”
Even with these high retention rates, a few teachers leave for various reasons.
“Faculty turnover is normal and happens for a variety of reasons such as retirement or family situations,” Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences Ken Procter said.
Professors also take jobs at other universities until their university of choice offers them a job they really want.
“Some faculty take positions now for financial security in hopes of getting the job they really want later,” Procter said.
GCSU’s salary is tenth out of 13 in the state among the state universities according to Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. GCSU’s average salary among professors, associate professors, assistant professors and instructors/lecturers is $48,532, whereas the state university average is $50,467.
“Faculty leave because they are called in by bigger schools,” Bryan Jackson, director of university communication, said. “Private schools have more resources, and they try to recruit the best. There’s always a great demand for great faculty.”
Incentives are in place to keep our remaining faculty here at GCSU. Professional leave was instituted at GCSU two years ago. Professional leave is an opportunity for faculty who have taught at the university for six years. Faculty can obtain a semester off with full pay or an academic year off with half pay.
“Professional leave is a very strong incentive,” Procter said. “It’s hard for teachers to balance their work and research. We only have so much time, if you keep adding (responsibilities), something has to go.”
Offering raises in pay as incentives can lead to problems among other professors in that department. If one teacher is getting a raise to stay at GCSU, the other teachers in his or her department may feel an obligation for a matching raise to their own salary.
Dr. Paul Jones, vice president and chief of staff and interim vice president for academic affairs, believes there are essential concepts of GCSU that attract both faculty and students.
“Teachers want to be here for similar reasons as students,” Jones said. “These reasons include the mission of the university, good facilities, small class sizes and high quality students/teachers.”
Some departments, such as Arts and Sciences, at GCSU have endowed chairs, but they are limited and highly competitive; however, not all departments are blessed with these chairs.
“The department of Health Science has no endowed chairs currently, but we are working towards (obtaining some),” Dean of Health Science Sandra Gangstead said. “In these tough economic times, faculty is reluctant to leave if they are on track for tenure unless they are assured a significant salary increase.”
There are safeguards in place to prevent faculty from leaving in the middle of a semester. Most contracts for faculty require them to finish out the semester. However, if the contract is broken or the contract does not designate a duration of teaching, part-time or existing professors will take on these classes. A last resort measure is to pay faculty for overload for the added class, which is the equivalent to overtime because they are compensated for the extra work.
“The faculty don’t want to put our institution in a tough situation,” Gangstead said. “There is a lot of loyalty here. Those who leave have their hearts tugged to stay. They don’t leave easily.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Feb 27 2009. Filed under News.
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