Maritime universities and governments, along with the federal government, need to work together if the region is to successfully replenish the estimated 1,800 full-time faculty positions that will become vacant over the next decade in the region.
The vacancies come as the result of a wave of faculty retirements which are part of a nation-wide demographic trend. Combined with a demand for new PhDs that exceeds supply, this situation is creating a very competitive hiring environment.
On February 17, 2004, the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) presented a document, entitled Strategies for Faculty Renewal in the Maritimes, to the Ministers of Education of the Maritime provinces, outlining a series of strategies and recommendations for universities and governments to prepare for this "seller's market."
Sam Scully, member of the Commission and Chair of the Committee that oversaw the preparation of the document, explains: "It is clear that the region must adapt quickly. Unfilled vacancies could threaten the very offering of programs and classes."
Scully adds, "In the absence of appropriate strategies to recruit and retain faculty, the Maritime provinces run the risk of being specifically identified by other jurisdictions as fertile ground from which to recruit faculty members."
Mireille Duguay, Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, explains: "The key interventions presented in Strategies for Faculty Renewal in the Maritimes focus on three areas: expanding the candidate pool, adapting recruitment practices, and developing measures to improve retention. For example, measures to expand the candidate pool include increasing the number of suitable candidates through the development of new, multi-institution doctoral programs, and the provision of additional support to PhD candidates and recent graduates to facilitate their transition into faculty positions." The document also recommends an overhaul of recruitment and retention policies and practices, including a review of salary structures.
For its part, the MPHEC has committed to preparing a progress report in two years' time; this report will include an update of relevant statistics and an account of regional developments and initiatives. Maritime provincial governments and institutions are invited to consider the recommendations and respond to this document.
Duguay adds: "The potential impact of a do-nothing approach would likely reach beyond the doors of the region's institutions – because the region's universities have a significant impact on the social and economic development, and are the primary performers of research and development in the region, any decline in the numbers and quality of Maritime university researchers and teachers would thus negatively impact the social and economic well-being of the region as a whole."
Strategies for Faculty Renewal in the Maritimes is the outcome of discussions among representatives of the region's degree granting institutions, faculty associations, graduate student associations, provincial governments, the Council of Atlantic Premiers, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and federal government agencies during the MPHEC's Symposium on Faculty Recruitment and Retention, held in Moncton in October, 2002.
The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission was established in 1974. Its mission is to assist institutions and governments in enhancing the post-secondary learning environment. MPHEC's 19 members are drawn from the Maritime provinces and represent higher education institutions, provincial governments and the general public.