Faculty Renewal Challenge Requires Universities, Governments Co-operate

MARITIME PROVINCES HIGHER EDUCATION--Faculty Renewal Challenge Requires Universities, Governments Co-operate

Maritime universities need to work with provincial and federal governments if the region is to successfully replenish the estimated 1,800 full-time faculty positions that will become vacant over the next decade in the region, the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) announced today, Feb. 18.

The vacancies come as the result of a wave of faculty retirements which are part of a nationwide demographic trend. Combined with a demand for new PhDs that exceeds supply, this situation is creating a competitive hiring environment.

The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) presented a document this week to the ministers of education of the Maritime provinces. Entitled Strategies for Faculty Renewal in the Maritimes, it outlines a series of strategies and recommendations for universities and governments to prepare for this "seller's market."

"It is clear that the region must adapt quickly. Unfilled vacancies could threaten the very offering of programs and classes," said Sam Scully, commission member and chair of the committee that oversaw preparation of the document. "In the absence of appropriate strategies to recruit and retain faculty, the Maritime provinces run the risk of being specifically identified by other jurisdictions as fertile ground from which to recruit faculty members."

"The key interventions presented in Strategies for Faculty Renewal in the Maritimes focus on three areas: expanding the candidate pool, adapting recruitment practices, and developing measures to improve retention," said commission CEO Mireille Duguay. "For example, measures to expand the candidate pool include increasing the number of suitable candidates through the development of new, multi-institution doctoral programs, and the provision of additional support to PhD candidates and recent graduates to facilitate their transition into faculty positions."

The document also recommends an overhaul of recruitment and retention policies and practices, including a review of salary structures.

For its part, the MPHEC has committed to preparing a progress report in two years' time; this report will include an update of relevant statistics and an account of regional developments and initiatives. Maritime provincial governments and institutions are invited to consider the recommendations and respond to this document.

"The potential impact of a do-nothing approach would likely reach beyond the doors of the region's institutions," Ms. Duguay said. "Because the region's universities have a significant impact on the social and economic development, and are the primary performers of research and development in the region, any decline in the numbers and quality of Maritime university researchers and teachers would thus negatively impact the social and economic well-being of the region as a whole."

Strategies for Faculty Renewal in the Maritimes is the outcome of discussions among representatives of the region's degree granting institutions, faculty associations, graduate student associations, provincial governments, the Council of Atlantic Premiers, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and federal government agencies during the MPHEC's Symposium on Faculty Recruitment and Retention, held in Moncton in October 2002.

The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission was established in 1974. Its mission is to assist institutions and governments in enhancing the post-secondary learning environment. MPHEC's 19 members are drawn from the Maritime provinces and represent higher education institutions, provincial governments and the general public.

The report is available on the website at:
www2.mphec.ca/english/pdfs/Strategies2004E.pdf