Earlier this week, we discussed the search for a new provost. As we noted, one of Provost Peter Lange’s lasting legacies will be faculty composition at Duke: he is responsible for hiring nearly two thirds of the current faculty.
During a 2012 Board of Trustees meeting, however, Lange noted that Duke’s faculty composition has shifted towards older, tenured professors. To counter this, he suggested that the University should hire younger professors, who are typically paid less than older faculty members. We should consider whether hiring young professors is indeed the right tactic, and the Provost Search Committee should evaluate its applicants’ views based on their answer to this question.
We laud Duke for its focus on faculty diversity, but question how intently the age of faculty members is, and ought to be, considered. At the University of Pennsylvania, over 7 percent of tenured faculty members are over 70 as of 2010, and, according to a Fidelity Investments study, 74 percent of older professors nationwide do not plan to retire at 65.
We have little data on the age of faculty at Duke. Thus, we urge the University to study the age distribution among faculty, as doing so will allow us to better assess the role age does and should play in discussions about faculty diversity.
To be clear, it is neither possible to induce from a professor’s age his or her research or teaching capabilities, nor advisable to generalize from singular examples the features of all professors of a given age. A comprehensive study, however, could help determine whether or not the faculty composition, in terms of age, has any correlation to classroom teaching or research outcomes. This data could help us rethink the meaning and importance of faculty diversity. It may also make a difference in hiring decisions, and might be valuable for the Provost Search Committee and the next Provost.
Student input should be included in this data. Students have a wealth of thoughts about in-class experiences, and many conduct research with professors. Although we caution against generalizations, trends identified by the student body could prove informative.
Lange suggests hiring young professors because they are cheap. Beyond that, however, Duke has the opportunity to cultivate the minds and careers of young professors and contribute to their research successes. Furthermore, keeping professors at Duke for a long time creates long-lasting bonds among faculty. These ties could potentially be harnessed to foster creative cross-discipline partnerships.
Older professors have more mature research and a higher level of teaching experience though. They possess extensive and highly cultivated knowledge and can add reflection and wisdom to a culture swept up in its own forward momentum.
Variety is key. A faculty composed of a variety of ages enhances the flow of ideas and makes for more fluid and productive conversations. An older professor may find it easier to engage with a young professor if there are professors in the middle who can bridge an intellectual and age gap.
Determining the best proportion of young and old professors is a difficult task. Collecting data will help us consider the role age ought to play in conversations about faculty diversity.
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