| NEWS
| July 14, 2005
Faculty
Department loses 6 faculty members
English Department works to replace
adjunct faculty and tenure professors for fall.
By Rebekah
Workman
The Shorthorn Staff
The English Department will lose six faculty
members in the fall, but officials anticipate that replacements
will maintain scheduled classes.
Tom Ryan, associate English chair for undergraduate studies, said
the majority of classes affected are in the freshman and sophomore
levels. Dr. Ryan said instructors would be replaced in an effort
to prevent classes from being cancelled.
“It shouldn’t affect the students’ ability to
get into the classes,” he said. “We’re extremely
committed to the students.”
Ryan said that if replacements are not found for classes, they might
be cancelled, but this is unlikely.
“We would do that very judicially — one with less students,”
he said. “Now that students are enrolled in the classes we
try hard not to.”
He said that prior to fall registration, upper-division classes
were canceled due to the loss of two tenure professors. He said
these positions might be more difficult to fill.
Liberal Arts Dean Beth Wright said organized searches will be held
next year for the tenure replacements.
“The English Department is doing their best to have the permanent
faculty in place to develop their programs,” she said. “The
majors have grown 6 percent since last year. We’ve got more
than 400 undergraduate and graduate majors.”
Ryan said that shuffling within the department may be necessary
to replace adjunct faculty Patrick Murphy, Debra Leissner, Teriann
Gaston and Anne Perry and tenure professors Victor Vitanza and Martin
Danahay.
Dr. Leissner said that at one time she taught six classes in a semester
and enjoyed working with the department but accepted a position
elsewhere with an increase in salary.
“We love the students — we like what we teach,”
she said. “If [UTA] wanted to pay me the same, I would stay.”
Ryan said replacements have been found for some of the classes.
“We have filled maybe some of the classes but not all,”
he said.
He said adjuncts, hired to teach on an ad hoc basis, are frequently
asked to step in, and they generally do.
“[They] respond to the needs of the department generally well,”
he said. “We have a very good faculty that is very committed
to teaching.”
Administrative assistant Tammy Dyer said freshman and sophomore
classes will be replaced by adjunct faculty.
“Some of the adjunct faculty that have taught with us before
are interested in coming back,” she said. “[We might]
have to hire one or two people who haven’t taught with us
before, but I don’t think they’ll have any problems
with that.”
Public Affairs Director Bob Wright said the two tenure positions
will be replaced, and the adjunct and lecturer, part-time positions,
will be replaced on an as-needed basis at the English Department’s
request.
As replacement occurs, Ryan said some students might not be aware
of who the instructor is until class begins. Some students prefer
knowing who will be lecturing, he said.
“In general, I think students will adjust, and I think teachers
will adjust too, ” he said.
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