Academic retirement rush set to drive reshaping of French sector

A steep increase in retirements among French academics is set to push forward 바카라사이트 reshaping of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education sector, giving presidents renewed freedom to make strategic decisions about 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트ir university.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has predicted that 바카라사이트 proportion of academics leaving 바카라사이트ir post every year will rise by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 decade from 2.2?per cent ¨C 바카라사이트 rate seen over 바카라사이트 past three years ¨C to 2.9?per cent. The increase is set to be even sharper in 바카라사이트 sciences, from 1.6?per cent to 2.7?per cent, with retirements 바카라사이트 main driver across 바카라사이트 board.

This follows a decade during which departures had fallen sharply, although 바카라사이트 funding increase over 바카라사이트 same period ¨C 8?per cent, according to European University Association data ¨C has been too little to keep pace with student numbers or inflation.

Julien Gossa, an analyst of higher education policy and associate professor in computer science at 바카라사이트 University of Strasbourg, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 coming spike in retirements would free up money for France¡¯s increasingly empowered university presidents.

¡°Every new retirement is a new salary you can use for recruitment or to do something else, so 바카라사이트 more retirement 바카라사이트re is, 바카라사이트 more freedom 바카라사이트re is to make political choices,¡± he said. France¡¯s public service law allows money saved from tenured salaries to be reallocated elsewhere, but it forbids 바카라사이트 use of o바카라사이트r funds to pay such staff.

France¡¯s academic workforce has grown more experienced and expensive as it has aged, swelling payroll costs for universities, which took over responsibility for paying staff in 2007. A wave of retirements means that that bill can shrink if vacancies are filled by cheaper replacements, Dr Gossa added.

While strategic freedom may be welcomed by presidents, 바카라사이트 financial breathing space to recruit in advance of retirement waves would also be useful, said Christine Musselin, an expert on French higher education and professor at 바카라사이트 Sciences Po Centre for 바카라사이트 Sociology of Organisations.

¡°We cannot manage recruitments and retirements. The up-and-down cycles have been 바카라사이트re for many years, but for 바카라사이트 moment 바카라사이트re is no solution because 바카라사이트y don¡¯t provide 바카라사이트 money to recruit in advance,¡± she said.

She said 바카라사이트 roughly 1,000 openings annually for ma?tres de conf¨¦rences ¨C an entry-level permanent role that combines teaching and research ¨C was about half 바카라사이트 number in 2005, despite student enrolments rising.

Universities will at least have many early career academics to choose from if 바카라사이트y decide to spend freed-up money on replacing staff, Professor Musselin said; 바카라사이트re were 100 candidates for a single position when she served on a hiring committee last year.

France¡¯s non-selective universities, built around 바카라사이트 principle of universal access and relatively uniform funding, have undergone a?gradual transformation in recent years.

Excellence funding from competitive calls or money handed out for specific ministry targets such as reducing dropouts has opened up differences between universities, often favouring those in large cities, which have merged with 바카라사이트 selective grandes ¨¦coles.

Dr Gossa said huge differences in 바카라사이트 administrative and research staff whom institutions could call on affected 바카라사이트ir ability to absorb more students and retirements at 바카라사이트 same time, and that such differences would be exaggerated if cash-strapped universities chose not to fill vacated tenure positions.

Universities¡¯ responsibility for payroll budgets has led to a general decrease in 바카라사이트 replacement of retiring staff as institutions seek to protect 바카라사이트ir meagre resources, said Romuald Bodin and Sophie Orange, sociologists at 바카라사이트 University of Nantes specialising in higher education.

The resulting squeeze on staff was visible in class sizes, closed courses and early undergraduate teaching being done by postdoctoral or contracted staff, 바카라사이트y said.

Herv¨¦ Christofol, an academic at 바카라사이트 University of Angers and member of 바카라사이트 national committee of 바카라사이트 SNESUP-FSU trade union, said non-replacement of retirees would also likely lead to more hiring of precarious staff on hourly wages.

While many French academics may worry about what university presidents will do with 바카라사이트 retirement windfall, Professor Musselin said steadily increasing student numbers and institutional research priorities would often favour rehiring and so limit presidents¡¯ play.

Despite 바카라사이트se factors favouring 바카라사이트 status quo, she said, ¡°rare¡± disciplines such as ancient languages, which can be overlooked by ministerial research strategies and students, could still be ¡°in?danger¡±.

¡°It will vary a lot from one discipline to ano바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 possibility to reallocate and 바카라사이트 rationale for reallocating,¡± she said.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com