As the student body increases at UVU, so does the faculty. This coming fall semester, UVU will gain and lose faculty. According to Academic Affairs, the school will be losing 38 faculty members this coming fall. However, there are no approximate numbers on what new faculty members should be expected this upcoming semester.
According to Karen Cushing, administrative assistant for Academic Affairs, faculty growth has stayed the same with faculty growth and there has been no real growth or decline, stating that it is all based on the budget.
From 2008 to 2012, UVU has gone from 453 full time faculty members to 553. When asked about what staff to expect in the fall, Kathren Brown, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs stated that they truly do not know what to expect until fall begins. Brown mentioned that some faculty members are still thinking about whether or not to stay or return.
Eugene Seeley, associate dean of Woodbury School of Business said that they’ve had seven new faculty members this fall. Seeley further explained that they have had difficulty trying to fill their positions and usually only fill a half to three-quarters of their positions each year because of the shortage of PhDs and their budget. He mentioned that they have made several offers to applicants but only one offer was accepted.
“Some said it just wasn’t enough money, it’s often a challenge,” said Seeley. “When they [applicants] come for an interview we usually are upfront about what the salary is so we don’t waste everyone’s time.”
According to Seeley, the Woodbury School of Business adds about two to three positions per year and that last year they had about 65 full time faculty members.
The School of Arts is planning on filling eight positions, and have already had four applicants sign to be a part of this fall semester. According to E. Linda Moore, assistant to the Dean of the School for Arts, the numbers of majors are increasing and their needs for additional faculty are as well. Moore mentioned that they have had a good amount of success when trying to fill positions.
“We still get some pretty incredible faculty applying, faculty with excellent qualifications,” said Moore. “It’s really important that our faculty have great resumes, that they have actually performed, conducted, and danced. They can’t just have a degree.”
The School of Health and Science mentioned that they will fill about nine positions this fall, and have already had four applicants sign. Kerri Howlett, assistant to the dean of Health and Sciences mentioned that they are consistently growing and they are pleased with their faculty.
“We’re able to find good high quality faculty. Our faculty could be anywhere, and they chose to come here,” said Howlett. “We have faculty with us, who are world renowned faculty.”
According to Academic Affairs, it will be hard to know what to expect this coming fall until the semester begins. However, each school at UVU is excited to welcome their hard-earned faculty members this coming fall.
By Emily Stephenson
News Editor
