Auburn University Strategic Plan

Priority 4: Developing Our People
Recognizing that faculty and staff are central to the life of the University, the Auburn University System will redouble its efforts to support, develop and strengthen our people.

Initiative 1: Strengthening faculty recruiting and retention.

GOAL 35: Auburn University has added faculty positions to departments with student credit hours over 20 percent of the norm.

"We will increase the number of faculty positions for those departments that are 20 percent or more above the norm for student credit-hour production. Similarly, those departments who are less productive in credit hour terms than the norm (adjusted for sponsored research productivity) will see a lower rate of faculty replacement than others."

Summary of Progress Achieved:

• New faculty positions were added to departments with SCH over 20% of norm, with a minimum of three departments affected: the Department of Computer Sciences and Software Engineering, the Department of Finance, and the Department of History.

GOAL 36: Auburn University has recognized exemplary faculty through the creation of over 90 new professorships.

"Within the next year, we will create 80 new professorships for existing faculty with exceptional merit. The salary support should be approximately $12,500 annually."

Summary of Progress Achieved:

• Auburn University recognized exemplary faculty through the creation of 80 new professorships.  This goal was achieved and exceeded the initial target of creating 80 new professorships, with the securing of private support for 96 new professorships.

GOAL 37: Auburn University has successfully planned for the retirements of several senior faculty and deans from 2008-2011.

"We will initiate planning for anticipated retirements of senior faculty and deans."

Summary of Progress Achieved:

• During 2009 and 2010, Auburn University successfully planned for the retirements of seven academic deans and several additional senior faculty and administrators.