The University’s fundraising efforts could take a hit as GW’s hiring of tenure-track faculty slows.
The Chronicle of Higher Education released a report last month showing that the universities that were most successful nationally at raking in donations last year had the highest percentage of tenured professors. Experts said tenured faculty are key to fundraising efforts because their research and connections to alumni can spur donations, but more tenure-track hiring wouldn’t necessarily boost donations.
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Hiring of tenure-track faculty at GW has slowed significantly in recent years and while those professors still make up more than three-quarters of total faculty, the number of non-tenure track hirings has outpaced tenure-track hires every year since 2013.
In the same time period, the University has placed an increasing emphasis on philanthropy, completing the $1 billion campaign last summer and seeking to boost it’s relatively low alumni giving rate. The University raised more than $100 million last fiscal year.
About 48 percent of faculty were tenured at the 20 most successful fundraising universities, according to The Chronicle. About 77 percent of GW’s professors were tenured or tenure-track last fall, but data is not available on how many specifically have tenure.
University spokeswoman Maralee Csellar said faculty and staff help fundraise for GW by making personal donations, including participating in an optional payroll deduction program where a certain amount of an employee’s paycheck is automatically donated to GW.
She declined to say how much faculty donated last year or in previous years, saying only that giving “varies from year to year.”
Professors often speak at alumni events and serve as “subject matter experts” in conversations with donors, Csellar said.
“Many faculty members have long-standing relationships with alumni going back to their days as students,” she said in an email.
Faculty help build GW’s academic and research reputation, which can help attract donors, she added. She said endowed faculty positions, which are established with large donations, help draw some of the highest quality faculty.
New endowment funds for faculty positions and scholarships dropped by nearly half last fiscal year compared to 2016.
Charles Garris, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and former chair of the Faculty Senate executive committee, said tenured faculty often have long-standing ties to alumni donors and complete the most vital research at the University, which can draw donor interest.
“They’re probably out there job hunting and looking for a better opportunity rather than worrying about fundraising or helping the University with philanthropy,” he said of non-tenure track professors. “Tenure is intimately connected with the ability of the faculty and the interest of the faculty in helping the University with its philanthropic aspirations.”
Katrin Schultheiss, the chair of the history department, said the security of tenure gives professors more time to dedicate to research, but a professor’s most crucial role is cultivating close relationships with students. After achieving success financially, the students then often show their appreciation through sizable donations, she said.
“There are instances where, for example, a former student has particularly good memories of having a very influential faculty member in their past and then later on when they become professionally successful they reflect on that and make a large donation,” she said.
Alumni have given some of the largest donations the University has received in recent years. Theodore Lerner, an alumnus, donated $5 million to name the Lerner Health and Wellness Center in 2014. Mark Shenkman, a former University trustee and 1967 alumnus, gave $5 million to career services in 2014, a donation that renamed Ivory Tower residence hall to Shenkman Hall.
Andres Castro Samayoa, a professor of educational leadership and higher education at Boston College, said tenured faculty aren’t the reason donors open their wallets, but faculty can help engage alumni because professors are often former students’ most direct and powerful link to their alma mater.
“We do know from research that positive experiences and memories of a student’s undergraduate years can influence their desire to give,” he said.
Brian Gowar, a vice president of fundraising research at Ruffalo Noel Levitz, a fundraising consulting company, said tenured faculty is just one factor that affects fundraising. He said it isn’t the sole reason GW’s alumni giving rate isn’t as high as its peers.
He said many donors would be excited by the relatively high percentage of tenure-track and tenured faculty at GW because it indicates a quality university. He said tenured professors often perform the bulk of a university’s research, which can also lead to donations from philanthropists interested in kickstarting research.
“When you have a very high percentage of your professors making long-term commitments, they will be there when the alumni are spreading their wealth,” he said.