Dental school vacant budgeted faculty positions: academic year 2003-04.

The total number of vacant budgeted positions (296) fell by eleven positions between 2002-03 and 2003-04. However, the reported number of lost positions increased from thirty-nine to 147. The average number of vacancies per school was 5.3. The average number of vacancies reported to be usual and normal at any one time was 3.6 per school, the same as last year. Forty-three percent of the vacancies had been vacant less than seven months, a decline from 55 percent in 2002-03, indicating an increase in the number of positions vacant longer than six months. Meeting position requirements was the most frequently reported factor cited as influencing the ability to fill a position. This is a change from recent previous years when the most influencing factors were salary/budget limitations and lack of response to position announcements. While there was no indication expressed in the survey that vacancies were adversely affecting the quality of dental education, almost 50 percent of the deans reported faculty recruitment and retention was a problem at their school, and over 55 percent indicated that they anticipated it would become more difficult over the next five years to fill vacated positions. Faculty recruitment, development, and retention remain priority issues in meeting the teaching, research, patient care, and administrative needs of the dental education community.