Monday, July 21, 2003

WRITER: Chuck Toney, 706/542-8090, ctoney@uga.edu
CONTACT: Arnett Mace, 706/542-5806, amace@uga.edu

UGA TO HIRE 50 FACULTY AND EXPAND ENROLLMENT IN HIGH-DEMAND MAJORS

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia will be able to hire 50 faculty and expand enrollment in some high-demand areas as a result of a 15-percent tuition increase approved by the Board of Regents for the 2003-04 academic year. Deans can begin hiring faculty immediately, although the hirings are likely to be spread throughout the academic year. There are currently 200 faculty vacancies at UGA.

The tuition increase resulted in additional net revenue of $6 million for the upcoming academic year. UGA President Michael F. Adams has allotted approximately $4 million to the office of the provost for hiring faculty, and approximately $1 million each to the offices of the senior vice presidents for external affairs and finance and administration.

"While there was not much additional revenue to distribute around campus, I believe the budget group developed a plan which will significantly impact our teaching loads for this fall and beyond," said Adams. "This is the first good budget news we have had in almost two years."

"President Adams has stated throughout these budget difficulties that faculty hiring is of paramount importance. He has followed through on that commitment with this allotment of available funds," said Provost Arnett Mace. "This administration has its priorities in the right order."

The proposed distribution of faculty hires among UGA’s colleges and schools is as follows:

* Terry College of Business – 2.5 instructors
* Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication – seven faculty positions, four temporary faculty and 2 two technicians
* College of Education – two faculty positions, 13 graduate teaching assistants
* College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences – five instructors
* Franklin College of Arts and Sciences – 12 faculty positions, two lecturers
* College of Family and Consumer Sciences – two faculty positions, one lecturer
* College of Veterinary Medicine – two faculty positions
* School of Public and International Affairs – one faculty position
* School of Law – one faculty position
* School of Social Work – one faculty position, one doctoral teaching assistant
* College of Environment and Design – three graduate teaching assistants
* Honors program – two part-time instructors

These additional faculty lines, according to Mace, will allow UGA to increase enrollment in high-demand areas such as business, graphic design, early childhood education, engineering, music education, consumer economics, fashion merchandising, furnishings and interiors, veterinary medicine and others.

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