The University of Illinois continues to struggle with faculty recruitment and retention despite the state budget crisis subsiding.
Interim Provost John Wilkin addressed the issue at an annual faculty meeting Monday. He says outside recruiting of the university's top professors was up 50% in the past two years.
More than 120 faculty members were recruited by other schools for the 2015-16 academic year, up by more than 80 from the previous year.
The number of new faculty hires dropped by half, and at least 50 faculty members opted to stay for the following year, many with the help of retention packages.
Wilkin says it's too soon to determine the outcome for the 2017-18 year, as this is not an intensive recruiting period. Many of the offers come in late winter and spring.
