Much of this shift is due to a significant number of retirements (62 in the past five years) discussed later in this chapter. As retirements occur, we frequently fill the position temporarily with part-time faculty as we evaluate the best long-term use of the position and conduct an extensive national search to fill it. The number of part-time faculty has also increased as full-time faculty receive additional released time to work on new initiatives, including the Virtual University (see Chapter 7), the Center for Academic Excellence (discussed later in this chapter), the many new centers and institutes discussed in Chapter 9, and this self-study. A study of part-time faculty employed from 1995 to 1997 found that nearly 40% of full-time-equivalent part-time faculty filled vacancies resulting from retirements, resignations, and failed searches, and over 30% filled in for faculty on sabbaticals, leave without pay, and sick leave. Twelve percent taught additional General Education classes, another 12% filled in for faculty providing alternative service to the University, and 6% filled in for faculty working on grants.

Roughly three-quarters of full-time faculty are tenured, over 20% are on track toward tenure, and 5% do not hold tenure track positions. In Fall 1998 36% of the full-time faculty were Professors, 29% were Associate Professors, 31% were Assistant Professors, and 4% were Instructors. These proportions have remained stable for the past five years. In focus groups of 68 faculty sponsored by the Center for Academic Excellence in 1999, faculty reported that a positive aspect of Millersville is their reasonable chance of being promoted to Professor.

Millersville faculty are very well credentialed, with 83% of Fall 1998 full-time faculty holding a doctorate and another 2% holding an M.F.A. as the terminal degree. Our faculty have earned their highest degrees at a broad array of prestigious universities across the country such as Yale, Princeton, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Notre Dame. The presence of many professionals educated outside this region brings a wealth of perspectives and enriches and diversifies our students' experiences.

The last five years have seen an increase in the proportion of full-time faculty who are female, from 35% in 1995 to 40% in 1998. Between Fall 1994 and Fall 1998 51% of full-time faculty hires have been women. There has also been an increase in the proportion of the full-time faculty who are women ranked as full professors, from 6% in 1994 to 8% in 1998.

We have also made some progress in recruiting and retaining faculty of color. From 1994 to 1998 the proportion of full-time faculty of color increased from 13.5% to 14.0%. This is the second highest proportion in the State System after Cheyney, a historically African-American university (see Chapter 8).