| UM-Flint is fastest growing, lecturers lead way |
| Written by Staff |
| Tuesday, 13 April 2010 12:06 |
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A current report identifies the University of Michigan-Flint as the state's fastest growing public university (Flint Journal, April 12, 2010). UM-Flint's enrollment reached an all-time high of 7,733 students in the fall 2009 semester, up over 7% from the previous year. On-campus housing, international recruiting, new graduate programs, and downtown Flint's revitalization have been cited as factors in the growth. However, growth in student numbers requires a corresponding growth in instructional faculty. Over the past several years, non tenure-track faculty growth at UM-Flint has far exceeded that of tenure-track faculty. Indeed, from 2001 to 2008, the numbers of tenure-track professors decreased by 2.34% (from 171 to 167) while the numbers of lecturers increased by 25% (from 233 to 292). At UM-Flint, lecturers teach half of undergraduate credit hours (60% in the lower division), and about a quarter of graduate credit hours. But although they represent the core of UM-Flint faculty, lecturers lag far behind their tenure-track colleagues in compensation, earning on average significantly less than half as much (based on a full-time rate), and with far less job security. Current university pay and benefits proposals would further slash lecturer total compensation, and would hurt the lowest paid, part-time lecturers the most. Nevertheless, LEO congratulates the UM-Flint on its robust growth, and wishes the campus continued success. Despite the threat of decreases in state support, the increased enrollments should bode well for the overall economic health of the institution, |
