Out But Not Down

SHOULD DARTMOUTH retain fine faculty? Careful, it's a trick question. On the one hand, Dartmouth's faculty is a dream come true: 68 percent have passed the College's rigorous tenure hurdles and few profs are tempted to leave. On the other hand, those very facts are becoming a problem as only 32 percent of faculty positions are open to young and relatively inexpensive blood.

Tenure rates creeping to the edge of the 50 to 70 percent agreed upon 20 years ago, and next year's uncapping of the mandatory retirement age of 70, are among the worries that keep Dean of the Faculty James Wright awake at night, the dean confessed to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at a recent faculty meeting.

The worries spring from economic as well as scholarly concerns: Senior faculty cost more than their juniors, and even the departments most energetically devoted to keeping up in their fields can benefit from the stimulus new faculty provide. As Dartmouth continues to tighten its belt, Wright said, the College will seek ways to make early retirement financially attractive and, just as importantly, intellectually stimulating.

Faculty do not seem worried. Tenure, Wright assured them, will still be decided according to the merits of each case, regardless of the percentage of tenured faculty within a department. And if the College can succeed in making early retirement enticing enough, trading the lectern for a yearround appointment in a private study may well be an offer too good to refuse.