U. of Florida Will Rebuild Its Faculty Ranks

The University of Florida will use federal stimulus funds to hire up to 100 professors and rebuild its
faculty ranks, which were slashed over the past year because of budget cuts, The Miami Herald reports.

As the newspaper puts it:

UF President Bernie Machen on Thursday told the Faculty Senate during a meeting in Gainesville that new professors will be hired in the coming year and will help to offset the recent loss of 81 professors.

The stimulus money will serve as a “bridge” until higher undergraduate tuition rates that went into effect this week for Florida residents generate enough revenue to cover the new professors’ salaries.

Some colleges, like the University of South Florida, have used stimulus money to stave off layoffs. Some — including USF, Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida International University — are using it to hire new faculty, but none on as large a scale as UF. “It’s a crucial step to help move the university forward,” Machen said.

UF, the state’s flagship research institution, is hoping to reverse its recent “brain drain” by luring professors from states like California with more dire budget situations affecting public colleges and universities.

“We face attrition every year due to retirement and normal turnover, but there is no question that we have had some departures because of our financial challenges,” Machen said. “With other institutions struggling, we have a unique opportunity to hire excellent people — from both the California system and other systems.”