Agenda Item No. ______

Washburn University Board of Regents

 

SUBJECT: Permission to make offers for faculty positions in the School of Business

 

DESCRIPTION:

 

The WU School of Business seeks to achieve its mission of providing Aa high quality business education, supported by research and service activities, that enhances the economic vitality of the region.@

 

The School=s dedication to student success has as its cornerstone an outstanding faculty whose professional and personal goals are consistent with the School=s mission and  AACSB-International accreditation.    At this time, the School is in the process of recruiting new faculty members who will serve the School and Washburn well into the future, replacing those who have left during the past year and those who will be retiring or leaving.   It is imperative that the School maintain a positive momentum as the AACSB-International accreditation process is completed in the next two years.

 

Faculty Searches to Date

 

The School was authorized to search for faculty members in a number of disciplines to begin Fall 2006.    In particular, the School is searching to fill a minimum of three positions:  The Brenneman Chair in accounting or finance, a tenure-track position in accounting or finance, and a tenure track position in management or marketing.

 

A reasonable anticipated salary budget was adopted, and ads were run in several national and discipline specific publications and web-sites.    So far, the Dean, Associate Dean, and a number of faculty members have conducted initial interviews at the following national meetings:

 

_    American Accounting Association Annual Meeting, August, Orlando

_    American Marketing Association Summer Educator_s Conference, August, Boston

_    Academy of Management Annual Meetings, August, New Orleans

 

Also, the School will recruit for its finance position at the Financial Management Association Meetings, New Orleans (in October.)

 

To date, nine campus visits for the top candidates have been scheduled.

Timing and Wording of Offer letters

 

Recruiting and attracting quality faculty members consistent with the School=s goal of AACSB-International accreditation is not an easy task.    Qualified business faculty are in high demand, and in many disciplines the demand far exceeds supply.   Numerous Schools are in the market this year for faculty candidates.  The ability to make timely, firm offers to the successful candidate can make the difference between success and failure as the best candidates are likely to receive numerous offers.   Our goal is to make competitive, reasonable offers quickly.

 

Ordinarily, faculty appointment offers are made Asubject to final approval by the Board of Regents,@ when those offers exceed the budgeted salary line  While the offers are sincere, such wording may place us at a disadvantage in the marketplace when compared to business schools without such wording in the offer.

 

RECOMMENDATION:

 

The President recommends that approval be granted to the President to make firm offers to successful candidates at the appropriate competitive salary as recommended by the faculty search committees, the SOBU Dean, and the VPAA.   The President will report the successful candidates and salaries at the next Board meeting.

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

 

The salary offers with be market driven and will reflect the national AACSB-International Salary Survey data national means for comparable Schools.  Through the normal budget process, funding will be built into the FY06 budget.

 

 

 

 

_________________________          ________________________

date                                                     Jerry B. Farley, President