Graying of the faculty on the rise

One of the goals of this year's long-range planning process is to develop a better picture of what Oberlin will look like in 2020. The faces of Oberlin will be changing significantly before that, however, as increasing retirement rates of faculty over the next 10 years hit Oberlin.

The demographic changes reflect similar changes in the population as a whole, and Oberlin's peer schools will be facing similar shifts.

Director of Human Resources Ruth Spencer estimated that a third of Oberlin's faculty will retire over the next 10 years. Acting Dean of the College of Art and Sciences Clayton Koppes said that although the number may not reach a third, "We anticipate retirement to pick up."

Professor of Economics James Zinser called the upcoming retirees "quite a cohort."

After Oberlin faces the transition between the retirees and their replacements, the faculty of the college will look dramatically different, and most importantly, younger.

The Department of English is currently experiencing firsthand the effects of the population's general demographic trends, and the effects they have on a department. The department is hiring for five positions this year, two of which are continuing tenure track positions.

Professor of English Dewey Ganzel, one of the retiring professors, said that choosing replacements is a very important and time-consuming process for a department. Ganzel said that because professors have such latitude to teach to their expertise and interests, the faculty makes a large impact on curriculum and students' experience.

"We have an excellent faculty. We have to make sure we maintain and enhance that excellence. Faculty is the lifeblood of the college," President Nancy Dye said.

The vacancies will thrust Oberlin and its peer schools into an already competitive Ph.D. market, which will grow in competitiveness in the upcoming years. According to Zinser, there will be an decrease in Ph.D's in all disciplines in the next years, and a greater decrease in the number of Ph.D's who speak English as a first language.

"I think Oberlin can attract [good faculty]. The question is whether or not it can find the resources," Zinser said. "If we want to bring to campus a diverse faculty, we are going to have to give up other things."

Koppes said that Oberlin's starting salaries for entering faculty are particularly competitive currently, and that he feels Oberlin has "no problem attracting good, new faculty members."

Ganzel voiced a similar sentiment when he said that he believes anyone Oberlin hires is first-rate. Ganzel said that he thinks faculty rise to the level of students, and that if Oberlin students continue to be top-quality, so will faculty. Spencer said that faculty salaries are the most effective way Oberlin can attract qualified faculty. "Our current salaries are not as competitive as we need them to be," Spencer said. "Oberlin will never be able to offer the financial rewards that the top 10-12 schools can," Ganzel said. "It takes a huge will to turn down a huge salary." Ganzel said that Oberlin is not the magnet that will draw any faculty here. He named drawbacks such as the isolation of Oberlin. Zinser voiced a similar sentiment. He said, "Oberlin is a wonderful community, but so is Williams and Swarthmore and Colby." Zinser said that to be competitive, Oberlin will have to offer competitive salaries, and that any unique characteristics of Oberlin can't really substitute for that. "Oberlin has the best students and wonderful music and art, but those things don't really substitute a great deal for salary," Zinser said.

Zinser also said that the salaries of the new, incoming faculty will, on average, be higher than those of the retiring professors due to the growing competition for qualified Ph.D's.

A particular area of concern in this issue is the ability of Oberlin to attract qualified minority candidates. Zinser said, "Oberlin has been active in recruiting a diverse faculty for years ... but we face very stiff competition in both getting and retaining a diverse faculty."

Spencer gave the example of a search the Biology department ran recently for a new animal physiologist. According to Spencer the department wanted a minority, but had real difficulty attracting minority candidates. She said she was very concerned about Oberlin's ability to attract minority candidate in the coming years.

"I don't know any department that wouldn't leap to hire a qualified minority. We have knocked ourselves out trying to get minorities," Ganzel said.

The Conservatory will face these transitions to a much lesser extent than the college, according to both Spencer and Acting Dean of the Conservatory Katherine Stuart. Spencer said that the Conservatory faces different age influxes and different kinds of pressures.