The Effect Inadequate Funding on faculty and Staff Recruitment in Higher Education
Daniel Dickson Boateng
Keiser University
Dr. Maldonado
EDL 753
March 13, 2016
Introduction
Recruitment is a very important artery that keeps the heart of every educational institution beating for success. It is the life line and backbone to achieving set objectives. Universities and colleges struggle to attract academic faculty that bear and share the reflections of the aspirations of not only the students of the institution, but the society at large. Butcher and Kristonis(2007) assert that every educational organization should have a human resource department whose main aim should be geared towards ensuring that set objectives are promoted. Thusly, working on recruitment is a very sensitive area, and there is no doubt that there are challenges that are faced by various human resource departments of higher education.
One of the major challenges that higher education faces is the problem of insufficient funding, which consequently leads to adverse effects on recruitment and staffing of faculty in colleges and universities. Nguyen(2013) discusses difficulties that higher education institutions face as regards funding insufficiency. He notes that budget cuts due to insufficient funding have made it uneasy for higher educational institutions to observe their academic responsibilities (p.10). Mitchel and Michael(2015) write funding problems in higher education have cut down not only the number of students in colleges, but also faculty and administrative staff. Thusly, it is appropriate to postulate that the problem of inadequate funding can have an adverse effect on recruitment in higher education.
Budget and Recruitment
Federal, state and local governments used to be the in charge of fully Funding Higher education until the onset of the recession which occurred in 2008. At this time, funding was reduced and universities and colleges had to rely on other sources of revenue so they can operate their institutions (Woodhouse, 2015). Because funding has become a most occurring issue, leaders in charge of finance and recruitment have had to work with wisdom and great meticulousness in order to keep a balance in the wake of financial crisis. “Some colleges and universities have pursued this strategy by reducing the proportion of full-time and tenured faculty (and relying increasingly on part-time instructional faculty), thereby reducing instructional costs.” (Busting the Myths: The Annual Report. 2014-2015 p.7). This report gives the indication that in order to cut cost as a result of funding problems, financial administration has resorted to recruiting only part-time faculty thereby freezing recruitment on full-time faculty.
In a personal interview with Mr. Bernard Lenihan, the Vice President for Financial Affairs and Treasurer of Union County College, he points out how recruitment is decided by the board of management in relation to available resources. He mentions that the board of management decides and plans the annual budget. The same board of management together decides on what for example a department needs in relation to recruiting personnel. The management board comprises heads of all department. If needed, heads of department bring their proposals in relation to personnel needed. The board then decides on what personnel to recruit. If funding available is not sufficient, recruitment is frozen until funding is available (Personal Communication March 15, 2016).
Mitchel, Michael and Palacios(2015) also discuss the effect of funding on personnel in higher education. The authors argue that the recession in 2008 which has led to cuts in funding has caused a great imbalance in personnel retention and recruitment. They continue to point out that universities and colleges have responded to the financial constraints by putting a freeze on all recruitment of staff and faculty, and have eliminated faculty and administration staff. Some collages, they assert, have recruited non-tenured staff instead. In some cases, programs have been eliminated and faculty laid off. For example, 13 employees were laid off in West Virginia University, and positions left unfilled were more than 100. In the University of Southern Maine, 50 faculty members were fired and two programs were obliterated in order to adjust its budget, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro also eliminated a total of 390 class sections, also with the sole reason of straightening budget. All over the United States, public colleges and universities have had a withered growth of employment to the higher education sector (Mitchel&Michael, 2015). All these laying offs and the freezing of recruitment are a result of the pressure of funding deficiency pulling down on educational institutions.
Kerlin(1992) also mentions financial crisis in higher educational institutions as one of the factors that seriously affects and influence recruitment and retention of academic personnel. She notes that lack of funding has led to a cut down of personnel. Consequently, prospective personnel are not recruited because there are no funds to pay for their service.
Frye (2015) observes one major reason for the recruitment of contingent faculty in universities and colleges in recent years. He asserts that the propelling force for the recruitment of contingent faculty is the decreasing state support in terms of funding.
Conclusions
One sensitive area for every educational institution is how its funds are allocated, since the success or failure depends on it. Married to funding is the most important variable that is inevitable and indispensable, personnel. The personnel that are recruited form part of the expenses that an institution makes. Success depends on the delivery of material. If the right personnel are not chosen for recruitment it is the worse that happens. It is also important to note that paying personnel is a very powerful variable that comes from funding. When there is a problem with the smooth flow of funds for work done, prospective personnel are deterred and existing personnel quit. Thusly, it is important to observe that funding plays a major role in determining the flow of personnel into an institution. When funds are not available to cater for personnel, recruitment is frozen and staff members and even faculty members lose their jobs.
Reference
Busting the Myths: The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession(2015) American association of University Professors. Retrieved from http://www.aaup.org/reports-publications/2014-15salarysurvey#B12
Butcher, J., & Kritsonis, W. A. (2007). Human Resource Management: Managerial Efficacy in Recruiting and Retaining Teachers– National Implications. Online Submission
Frye, J. R. (2015). Flexibility for survival: State funding and contingent faculty employment at public higher education institutions (Order No. 10005302). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. (1764497453). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1764497453?accountid=35796
Kerlin, S. P. (1992). The fiscal crisis of the american public research university and its impact on faculty: A case study of factors influencing recruitment and retention of academic personnel (Order No. 9238936). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. (303993051). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/303993051?accountid=35796
Mitchel, Michael l& Leachman Michael . (2015, May). ” Years of Cuts Threaten to Put College Out of Reach for More Students” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Retrieved from: http://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/years-of-cuts-threaten-to-put-college-out-of-reach-for-more-students#_ftn1
Nguyen, D. (2013). Educational resource allocation at the elementary level: A case study of one elementary school district in california (Order No. 3598302). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. (1458632998). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1458632998?accountid=35796
