Greiner stresses need for 'future plan'

The need for academic units to develop "a clearly articulated future plan" in line with the university's mission and goals has been underscored by President William R. Greiner in a memorandum that says units that don't do so will face a "pause" in their ability to hire faculty and staff.

An estimated 700 to 1,000 faculty and staff appointments are anticipated over the next decade, based on projections for retirements, attrition and other transitions, Greiner said in the memorandum, dated Oct. 31.

The university, he stressed, "cannot afford to have these key resources invested without a clear sense of purpose and plan."

Greiner referred to goals for the university being charted in Provost Thomas E. Headrick's academic planning report and the need for "successful development of academic unit plans that fit into an integrated whole" if the goals of the planning effort are to be met.

"To date," Greiner noted, "progress on these plans has been uneven across the campus. Some units are well-advanced; others are just beginning.

"Until a unit has a well-developed plan," he added, "it would be a serious institutional error for it to make further tenure-track or permanent appointments."

Greiner said he has advised the provost, senior vice president and vice presidents that "for any unit that lacks a clearly articulated future plan-one that looks five and 10 years ahead, fits within UB's overall missions and goals, and is academically and financially sound-a pause in tenure-track/permanent-appointment faculty and staff hiring will be in effect.

"I will expect the provost and the vice presidents to review the current hiring plan of each unit in their areas, report to me on the progress of the unit toward developing its overall plan, and provide compelling justification for any hiring without a plan.

"In most cases," Greiner said, "I will accept their recommendations, but in each case, such justifications must be compelling."

The president added that "all new appointments will be reviewed in light of UB's long-term commitment to equal opportunity in employment; UB fully recognizes the need for diversity in our faculty and staff, and the strength such diversity will bring to any future development."

- Arthur Page