University Times

A School of Education faculty member says the declining number of tenured faculty at Pitt could lead to a vastly different institutional culture if trends continue.

Faculty Assembly member Mark Ginsburg, who chairs a University Senate ad hoc committee studying tenure trends, reported on the latest findings Feb. 29.

Citing data compiled by the Pitt's Office of Institutional Research, Ginsburg said there has been a significant decline in the proportion of tenure and tenure-stream faculty at Pitt. The data he presented included five categories of schools, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), the non-Health Sciences professional schools, the School of Medicine, other Health Sciences schools and the regional campuses. Statistics covered 1974, 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1996-1999 inclusive, in three categories: percentage of full-time tenure-stream faculty, percentage of full-time and part-time tenure stream faculty and number of tenure-stream faculty. (In Ginsburg's data, tenure stream includes tenured faculty and those working toward tenure.) For the 3,206 full-time faculty University-wide, the current percentage of tenured/tenure-stream faculty is 47 percent, down from 49 percent in 1998, and 54 percent in 1990.

"To my mind, this is a serious concern that we as a faculty and as a University need to address," Ginsburg said. "I don't want this to be seen only as a criticism of administrative decisions, but also a negative trend coming out of faculty decisions. I think we as a faculty need to pursue this discussion."

Reacting to Ginsburg's report, Provost James Maher yesterday said, "Our faculty early retirement program vacated a lot of positions, and there are a lot of searches going on. So, for instance, FAS is down to 460 [tenured positions] this year because of retirements."

FAS has 55 active searches for tenured faculty, said Maher, who did not attend the Feb. 29 Faculty Assembly. "The target numbers for tenured faculty that we set a couple of years ago in the University planning process are all still the same, and the searches are going on to fill those positions. So, in that sense, there is no change in the University's intentions on tenured faculty positions. And to the extent that the report implies such a change, it's inaccurate."

Statistics show that in 1974 more than 90 percent of full-time faculty in FAS were in the tenure stream compared to 78 percent in 1999. The regional campuses' percentages declined similarly from 88 percent in 1974 to 63 percent in 1999. But the numbers show huge drop-offs in the medical school (68 percent to 27 percent) and the other health sciences schools (74 percent to 35 percent) over the same time period.

The declining proportion trend is nationwide, Ginsburg said. "At the national level, AAU professors have talked about the erosion of tenure. Not, as before, with boards of trustees and administrators moving to abolish tenure as a category in departments, though that is still an issue in some places. Today, it's a series of actions, many well-intentioned, many in the interests of particular faculty members, but a series of decisions over time that have eroded the proportion of faculty, both those who have earned the rights and responsibilities of tenure and those who are working toward tenure."

Ginsburg said it was up to groups like Faculty Assembly to reverse the trend — "at least those of us who recognize the value of the institution of tenure to universities." He said faculty have contributed to the trend, "sometimes with enthusiasm, sometimes with sincere efforts to solve problems, sometimes under duress, because departments are not allowed to hire, sometimes under duress in the sense that we recommend people for tenure and they've been turned down. But over time, a series of decisions have been made that lead to this trend."

Ginsburg acknowledged that the non-Health Sciences professional schools buck the trend. The professional schools' tenure percentages have been largely steady state, from 76 percent of full-time faculty in 1974 to 78 percent in 1990 to 78 percent currently.

Additionally, the School of Medicine is unique, Ginsburg said, because large numbers of faculty have clinical or supervisory roles. Data indicate that the percentage of full-time, tenure stream faculty in medicine has decreased from 68 percent in 1974 to 27 percent in 1999.

However, Senate President Nathan Hershey pointed out that in actual numbers, tenure stream faculty in medicine increased from 347 in 1980 to 395 in 1999. "I recognize that in 1980 more than half the faculty (57 percent) were tenure-stream compared to a little more than a quarter (27 percent) in 1999," Hershey said. "But I want to comment that, Mark, you're saying that faculty in units should be shaping faculty structure. I can tell you that is not true at all in the Health Sciences."

Hershey said it has been proposed that the School of Medicine lengthen the time a faculty member can have to achieve tenure, which, as a rule, is seven years. He said the proposal is under review by the provost's office, medical school officials and the Senate's tenure and academic freedom committee (TAFC).

John Baker, faculty member in the School of Dental Medicine, said, "The real crisis is in the Health Sciences. FAS is not a good example. I can tell you that in the dental school in 15 years I can count on one finger — on one finger — the number of faculty who started as assistant professor and got tenure. The only way to get it is if you're recruited from another university and you're doing full-time research. The criteria is at fault. You have to get an NIH (National Institutes of Health) grant and get it renewed in seven years; in six years in medicine. It's virtually impossible for clinical faculty to get tenure in the med school or dental school."

Ginsburg said, "I put the data on the table today with the hope that these trends become a self-denying prophesy; that these trends, if extended, would create a University most of us would not recognize and that they are antithetical to the concept of a university. Those who know me know I'm a strong proponent of tenure and believe academic freedom is clearly tied to tenure."

Assembly member Herbert Chesler said that more numbers needed to be analyzed before the panic button is pushed. "I'd like to look at numbers in terms of quality of instruction," he said. "There are two ratios that would be helpful: the number of tenured people per student by school, and the percentage of tenure or tenure stream faculty providing instruction," as opposed to researchers and clinical faculty.

Hershey solicited suggestions for where the issue of declining tenured faculty could best be addressed.

Ginsburg said, "According to a 1988 policy document report, planning and budgeting committees at the lowest level in all area responsibility centers all the way up to similar University-wide committees are to discuss and consider these concerns, as opposed to proposals by Senate Council and this body, which may not be adopted."

Regardless, Christina Bratt Paulston said the Senate tenure and academic freedom committee would be examining this issue closely over the next couple years. Paulston is a member of TAFC.

Hershey recommended that TAFC compile a written report for review by Faculty Assembly, and that interested parties contact that committee with input.

In other Assembly business:

* President Hershey reported that the take a board member to class program has 17-19 trustees signed up. Six other trustees said they were interested in participating but could not at this time because of scheduling.

* Hershey announced that the University Senate spring plenary session will be held 3-5 p.m. March 22 in the physics lecture hall, 2nd floor, Masonic Temple. Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg will speak on "Pitt in the Year 2000: Pursuing Our Full Potential." The chancellor's presentation will be followed by remarks from James G. Holland, professor of psychology, and Jeannette M. Trauth, assistant professor of health services administration.

* Senate elections committee chair Herbert Chesler announced the names of the candidates for University Senate offices. Running for president are incumbent Hershey and former president of the Senate Gordon K. MacLeod, both faculty in the Graduate School of Public Health. Vice president hopefuls are incumbent Carol Redmond, GSPH, and Sean Hughes, School of Education. Running for Senate secretary are: Elizabeth A. Evans, University Library System; Audrey Murrell, Katz Graduate School of Business; and Elizabeth Schlenk, School of Nursing.

Ballots are not yet complete, according to Fran Czak, director of the Senate office.

* Senate anti-discriminatory policies committee vice chair Audrey Murrell said the 2000 chancellor's affirmative action and diversity award will be announced at the June Senate Council meeting. Nominations should be sent to the Senate office, 1234 Cathedral of Learning, by March 24.

The award, which carries a $1,000 stipend, annually honors a Pitt program, unit or individual for significant contributions in the areas of affirmative action and diversity programs, policies and initiatives.

* Social Work professor emeritus Barbara K. Shore delivered a eulogy for Tamara Horowitz, chair of Pitt's philosophy department, who died Jan. 30. (See University Times, Feb. 16.) The assembly had a moment of silence in honor of Horowitz.

* Kate Thomes, president of the University Library System (ULS) faculty senate, asked that a recent ULS senate-approved statement urging the University to extend medical benefits to same sex partners of employees be entered into the Faculty Assembly record. She said copies of the statement had been forwarded to the chancellor, the provost and the University's Board of Trustees. (See University Times, Feb. 3.)

–Peter Hart