Report documents UMass faculty shortage crisis

At the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the number of permanent, full-time faculty has declined precipitously in the past decade. In 1990 there were 1,133 tenure-track faculty. Today, with almost exactly the same number of students, there are only 865 -- a 24 percent decline in faculty.  Since 2001, the drop has been particularly severe -- UMass/Amherst has lost 140 core faculty in just four years. Twenty years ago, nearly all students were taught by permanent, full-time faculty. Today, over 40 percent of all teaching at UMass is done by contingent workers. The number of part-time teachers has risen 68 percent since 1994, while the number of tenure-track faculty has fallen sharply.

UMass/Amherst is a great research university at which Massachusetts students can get a first-rate education from faculty who are leaders in their fields. Core faculty bring in over $100 million per year in research funding. No group is more dedicated to the university than its faculty, whose long-term perspective make them guardians of the university. Students also care deeply about their future alma mater. All those who offered testimony recognize that the future of UMass will be as great as its past only if there is an ambitious plan to restore the faculty, the university's human capital.

This report demonstrates the radical transformation of UMass as a result of the decline in faculty. Some of the central findings of this report include:

• The decline in the number of tenure-track faculty has hurt students. They are shut out of courses and often take longer to graduate. They cannot find advisors, mentors, or recommendations essential to graduate education and future careers.
• Tenure-track faculty are proven teachers and researchers who have made a long-term commitment to the university. Without enough permanent faculty, the university cannot succeed at its central goals: teaching, research, and outreach.
• The faculty shortage threatens the university's competitiveness on the national stage. It is impossible to generate research and to compete for grants without a concentration of core faculty in individual programs and departments.

This crisis demands an immediate response. Chancellor John V. Lombardi said in November 2004 that UMass/Amherst cannot become a top-ranked research university without a research faculty of at least 1,100 – for a faculty-student ratio of approximately 1:20. Yet the university has no definite plans to reach that goal. Provost Charlena Seymour says 40 percent of teachers are not permanent faculty. This report demonstrates the serious consequences of disinvesting in the university's core teachers and researchers. 

UMass can do better. With a renewed commitment to devote the necessary resources to the university's educational mission, UMass can become a national model of excellence.

The full report is available online at http://www.umass.edu/msp/id70.htm  or by calling 413-545-2206.

Last modified: Friday, February 18, 2005