faculty and staff
34 the strategic plan for the university of maryland | may 2008
Vision Faculty are the single most important factor determining the reputation, impact, and visibility of the University. The University will attract and retain the outstanding and diverse faculty that will lead it to preeminence in its three missions of teaching, scholarship, and full engagement in the community and the world. Similarly, staff members in every segment of the University have shown themselves time and again to be dedicated, loyal, and indispensable to the smooth functioning of the institution. The University will work to attract and retain the outstanding and diverse administrative and support staff and corps of faculty in other ranks (research, artist-inresidence, library, instructional) that will be required for success in all our missions. To advance its world-class stature, the University will provide the resources and offer the living and working environment needed to recruit and retain these outstanding faculty and staff. Faculty and staff will receive competitive compensation and personal and family benefits; will be supported by robust programs of mentoring and professional and career development; will experience a rigorous but fair and transparent system of review, reward, and promotion; and will be engaged in an attractive, stimulating, and challenging workplace and community environment. The University will encourage and enable the full participation and success of individuals from underrepresented groups in its faculty and staff ranks. Furthermore, faculty and staff numbers will reach a level that fully supports the mission. The University’s reward systems, its systems for resource allocation, and the shared vision and values of the University community will encourage balanced creative efforts toward the fulfillment of all aspects of our mission and of our strategic priorities.
Goal 1: To recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff, the University will provide compensation, resources, benefits, support programs, and living and working environments that are competitive with those of the top public universities in the nation.
Strategies A. The University will vigorously pursue funding to ensure compensation and benefit packages that are at the level of our peers and suitable for the cost of living requirements of this metropolitan area. •
By fy 2013 average faculty compensation for each professorial rank and for each college will be at or above the mean of our five designated peers for that rank and for comparable disciplines. Overall we are currently at 98% of this goal. Where this goal is already exceeded, an appropriate differential will be maintained.
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The University will work with the Board of Regents and the Governor to develop the resources needed to fulfill our faculty salary goals.
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We will support the hiring and retention of outstanding faculty in priority areas.
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The University will make staff salary levels, benefits, and conditions of employment competitive with those for similar positions in competitive markets.
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The University will develop hiring and retention inducements such as housing support, domestic partner benefits (including health insurance and tuition remission), day care, and assistance in finding employment for domestic partners and spouses, including support for dual hires where appropriate.
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The University will work with the Board of Regents to explore the possibility of increasing the employer contribution to the Optional Retirement Plan.
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The University will develop financial arrangements to facilitate early or phased retirement for senior faculty members who may request it.
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The University will ensure that pay levels, benefits, and conditions of employment are fair, competitive, and appropriate for non-tenure-track faculty, especially for those in part-time and short-term contractual positions.
B. The University will develop a workplace that is attractive, reflects the intellectual and cultural ambiance of a great educational institution, and promotes a sense of community, and will work to make the surrounding physical and business environment a stimulating and welcoming location. •
The University will develop outstanding research and teaching facilities and create an overall physical work environment that encourages efficiency and responsiveness throughout the institution. See the “Infrastructure and Academic Support” section of this plan for details.
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We will improve the atmosphere of the institution as an intellectual community by sponsoring special lectures, conferences, and opportunities for interdisciplinary interaction and collaboration.
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We will work to reduce “red tape” and facilitate innovation throughout the institution. See the “Resource Allocation and Administrative Efficiency” section of this plan for details.