Recruiting and retaining top faculty
Perhaps the single most important indicator of a university’s health is its ability to hire its first-choice faculty candidates and retain its top professors. Today, with the high cost of living in the Bay Area, and faculty salaries already lagging up to 20 percent behind those of our private peers, it is becoming more and more difficult to stay competitive.
Major new infusions of private support, coupled with continuing commitment from the state, are essential to address the rising cost of hiring and retaining top faculty. In addition, providing state-of-the-art research facilities and graduate fellowship funding will enable Cal to attract the best graduate students, who in turn draw top professors.
Gap in Faculty Salaries: Berkeley vs. Its Peers
In spite of keen competition for top faculty, Berkeley has had a 72 percent success rate in recruiting new faculty in the past decade. In the past five years, it has retained almost 70 percent of faculty whom other institutions have tried to recruit. This success, however, has been achieved only through extraordinary and costly measures.
The competition is growing — especially among the nation’s elite private universities. Since 2000, Harvard has tried to recruit more of our professors than any other private institution, and has been the most successful in luring them away. Increasing our endowment is the only way to sustain the long-term excellence of our faculty.
The price of excellence is high, but it is a small price to pay to keep the finest minds in the country coming to California.
- George W. BreslauerExecutive Vice Chancellor and Provost
To remain competitive with the great private universities while maintaining its public mission, Berkeley is creating a new model of funding for public universities. By substantially growing its endowment through vital public-private partnerships, the University will preserve its high distinction and opportunity for generations to come.
Private gifts for endowed chairs, endowed faculty funds, graduate fellowships, and other types of faculty support are among Berkeley’s most effective means to keep and attract outstanding professors — the heart of Berkeley’s excellence in teaching, research, and public service.
For further information:
University of California, Berkeley
University Relations
2080 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94720-4200
510.642.1212
hewlettchallenge@berkeley.edu
