CSU LOOKING FOR TENURE

MOVE AIMS TO BOOST QUALITY OF EDUCATION WITH LONG-TERM TEACHING APPOINTMENTS

By Renee Koury

Mercury News

Student enrollment at California state universities is growing, but the roster of tenure-track professors is not. For students, that has meant learning from a rotation of talented but temporary lecturers.

Universities have been hiring a mix of adjunct instructors and tenure-track professors. But the percentage of non-tenure teachers has been growing, in large part because it costs schools less. Tenure-track faculty members get higher salaries because in addition to teaching, they develop academic programs, advise students and conduct research that can lend a school prestige.

But now, in an effort to keep up with the growing appetite for a college education and to scale back its heavy reliance on temporary instructors, the California State University system in the fall is conducting its largest recruitment drive in more than a decade for tenure-track faculty members.

The move is unusual because it would buck a national and statewide trend of 20 years. It follows a collective bargaining agreement reached in the summer between the faculty union and CSU to increase the number of permanent instructors. The union has argued for the past few years that the decrease in the ranks of tenure-track faculty members hurts the quality of education at the university.

``As usual, California is in the forefront,'' said Ruth Flower, director of public policy and communications at the American Association of University Professors. ``For budget reasons and for reasons of flexibility, there has been a strong increase in the use of temporary and part-time lecturers. But now states are looking at the effect of that on the quality of education.''

About 22,000 more undergraduates, the equivalent of one medium-size campus, joined the already swelling rosters at CSU this year. At the same time, about 600 professors will leave, mainly because they are reaching retirement.

This month, the 23-campus system will begin recruiting for 1,200 new faculty positions, nearly three times the number advertised a decade ago.

Educators say temporary faculty members, many of whom are professionals teaching one or two courses, are often excellent instructors who bring a range of expertise and real-world experience to the classroom. Colleges and universities like the flexibility of using lecturers, who don't have the lifetime tenured jobs and can be dismissed if budgets shrink or programs change.

But groups representing the faculty argue that tenured instructors provide the long-term stability and academic program management that universities need to excel. Those on track for tenure make long-term commitments to the schools, govern the academic senate, develop curriculum, conduct peer reviews, schedule more office hours for students and make time to be available to them over the course of their college careers.

Prestige is a factor

They also are required to publish materials and conduct research that can bring prestige and acclaim to a campus.

``It's not to say that lecturers aren't good, but professors are hired after nationwide searches for the best,'' Flower said. ``There is a more collegial atmosphere when they are there year after year. It's a different level of commitment, a different status and a deeper quality issue.

``For so many years, the number of lecturers has been increasing, and it may still be increasing, but now universities are realizing that it's harder to go out every fall and try to find someone to teach those extra sections of introductory English. If you know you need to fill 30 classes, it's better to have professors who you know will be there.''

Job uncertainty

Elizabeth Hoffman, a lecturer for 20 years and vice president of the California Faculty Association, said the job uncertainty inherent with temporary staff also affects students.

``You want teachers who have security so they will have academic freedom, knowing they're not going to lose their job because of something they teach,'' said Hoffman, who teaches English at Long Beach State. And, she said, ``It honestly can make a difference for students to graduate if a faculty member is there year after year and can make the recommendation.''

In the past, most classes at California State University schools were taught by permanent, tenure-track faculty, but the balance has shifted during the past two decades. The California Faculty Association, which represents professors and lecturers, estimates 52 percent of faculty members are off the tenure track, with about 11,000 temporary vs. about 10,000 permanent faculty members.

Faculty association and CSU officials agreed this summer on an eight-year plan to bring the balance of tenure-track faculty up to 75 percent.

The CSU system slashed faculty hiring during the economic hard times of the 1990s when state funding for higher education shrank. Faculty searches dropped from 992 in 1990 to 302 in 1993.

In the meantime, enrollment has steadily increased. Last year the system added about 20,000 students and this year 22,000, bringing the total to about 410,000 this year, said CSU spokeswoman Clara Potes-Fellow.

She attributes the crush of students to California's growing population of college-age youth, combined with a rising percentage of high school students going on to college.

Given that it can take three to five years to fill one professor's slot, depending on the field, CSU fills only about 72 percent of open positions in most years. It is especially difficult to fill professorial slots in engineering, computer science and math.

San Jose State University also expects to have a huge recruitment drive this year just to keep up with increased enrollment and to replace retiring professors. Last year, it conducted 102 faculty searches, about twice the normal rate, said Peter Lee, vice president for academic affairs.

San Francisco State University has announced it will add 80 tenure-track professors over three years in addition to replacing those who have retired, a 10 percent increase. Some will be used to teach classes newly in demand, such as Islamic studies. Others will be used to expand the school's most popular programs, cinematic arts and business.

Classes fill up fast

That might come as a big relief for university students who say it is difficult to get into courses required for graduation because they fill up quickly.

``We had students sitting on the floor at my organic chemistry class, hoping someone would drop out of the class so they could add it on, and they wouldn't be left behind,'' said Monalisa Manuel, a junior at San Francisco State University. ``There's only two sections of the class. Some kids say they're going to have to stay an extra semester because they don't have any room in a class they need. Some of the teachers stay at night to teach extra.''

In the nine-campus University of California system, enrollment increases are expected to require 7,000 additional faculty hires over the next 10 years, said spokesman Paul Schwartz. But there are no concrete goals for immediate hiring, nor is UC committed to hiring fewer lecturers than permanent faculty. Schwartz said about 30 percent of undergraduate classes at UC are taught by temporary faculty members. Graduate students also teach many sections.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact Renee Koury at rkoury@sjmercury.com or (415) 394-6878.