The University of Iowa (UI) is launching a new hiring program to attract competitive tenured faculty who "can have a transformational impact” on the university. Similar hiring programs have been launched at other Big Ten universities in recent years, reports The Gazette.
Dr. Barbara Wilson
Just what is considered an area of “high strategic impact” to the university will be determined by faculty leaders and deans, in consultation with the vice presidents for research and for health affairs, said UI.
Candidates will also be expected to have:
- “a consistent record of cutting-edge scholarship or creative works”
- “a record of interdisciplinary and/or innovative collaboration”
- “the ability to enhance diversity at the departmental and collegiate level”
- “a strong record of external funding where appropriate”
- expertise “in areas of high student demand/interest”
“I am really excited about this program because it will bring to our campus faculty innovators who can hit the ground running with their established records,” says Dr. Barbara Wilson, president of UI. “These individuals become magnets, fostering rich and unexpected collaborations across campus and helping us attract new talent to our university and state.”
UI intends to recruit up to three scholars per year for three years, with the first hires beginning in the fiscal year 2024.
Notably, the hiring program comes as the number of tenured faculty numbers has dipped across all three Iowa Board of Regents public campuses in recent years. Non-tenure-track faculty now make up the majority (56%) at UI, reports The Gazette.
