What is the Faculty Challenge Initiative?

Increasing support for faculty is President Bernie Machen’s highest priority. The Faculty Challenge is an initiative to raise $150 million in private support for endowment to give faculty the tools they need to enhance classroom instruction and conduct world-class research.

Create an endowment to provide competitive salaries so the University of Florida can attract and retain the best and brightest faculty.

Why is a special initiative for faculty important?

A faculty is a university’s signature. It is the faculty that teaches, conducts research and provides the services that define the University of Florida’s reputation and image. Simply stated, the quality of our university is directly based on the quality of our faculty.

How will my gift be used?

Your gift can enhance the classroom experiences of thousands of students each year by bringing the latest discoveries into the classroom. It could help find answers to problems faced by many people around the globe. Students, alumni and others in regions throughout the world benefit directly from the private gifts that create endowments for professorships, fellowships, lectureships and research funding. You can specify the use of your gift or leave it to the discretion of the university to be used to elevate research and teaching at the University of Florida.

Are gifts to the Faculty Challenge for salaries?

Making salaries competitive is just one form of support. Usually more important is the university’s ability to support the work and research of faculty. UF professors and researchers have a reputation of doing extraordinary work with little financial help for research studies and graduate assistantships. For a dedicated faculty it’s more important to have strong support in the forms of laboratories, equipment, special studies and assistantships and other academic endeavors. Having strong teams made up of graduate students, top faculty and a strong student body is critical to UF’s growth.

Compared to their peers, how well are University of Florida faculty members paid?

Public university professors in the state of Florida are among the lowest paid in the nation. In terms of salaries, the University of Florida ranks 55th among its 60 peer schools in the Association of American Universities.

The only way a public university such as the University of Florida can substantially increase faculty salaries and support is through private funds. Since other universities frequently recruit the University of Florida’s best faculty members, promising larger salaries and better research support than the University of Florida can match, the state of Florida’s comparatively low salaries make it difficult for the University of Florida to recruit and keep top faculty.

Doesn’t the state provide funding to support faculty and research?

Due to UF’s growth to meet the demands of educating a growing Florida population, the university’s budget has grown more than 100 percent over the past two decades. The only reason UF has advanced in national academic standings is private support and federal research funding. This trend is not expected to reverse due to the heavy demands for state tax dollars by other public services. Meanwhile, the total economic impact to the state of Florida by our faculty is almost $4 billion annually. Successful recruitment of talented faculty can easily result in the flow of millions of dollars more in federal research grants, which in turn provides a better learning environment for students.

Will the state of Florida match my gift?

Yes, gifts of $100,000-$2 million for endowments are eligible to be matched by the state at 50-80 percent; gifts of more than $2 million are matched dollar-for-dollar.

Does the high number of current professors nearing retirement age have anything to do with this crisis?

Many of the university’s most experienced faculty members will be retiring within the next few years, which will further highlight our need for talented new faculty. Our challenge will be to recruit quality young faculty, knowing that higher salaries and better support are crucial to our success in doing so.

However, even without the challenge of replacing the university’s outstanding retiring faculty, overall support of our faculty is lagging far behind our peer institutions and desperately needs a significant boost.

Why are donations from alumni and friends necessary?

In order to meet the growing education needs of students at UF and at the same time meet the mandate by the residents of Florida to provide service through research and outreach, the university must hire and retain the most talented and capable faculty members. President Machen has declared the retention and recruitment of quality faculty are the keys to the University of Florida’s goal of becoming a top university. Analysts predict that unless the university’s ability to recruit and retain its best faculty is reversed, the University of Florida will not reach its potential as one of the world’s preeminent schools.

What is the President’s Challenge?

Because of the high priority President Machen has placed on this initiative, he has pledged to add $250,000 to each gift of $1 million or more. The president’s match will come from a special discretionary fund established with private donations specifically for the Faculty Challenge until the fund is exhausted.

How can I make a gift to this worthwhile and important Faculty Challenge?

For information, call (352) 392-1691 or write to the University of Florida Foundation at P.O. Box 14425, Gainesville, FL 32604.