#AuburnInspires

Auburn University to hire 500 tenure-track faculty

Expansion to Grow Research Capacity, Increase Economic Development and Fuel Student Education Opportunities

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Auburn University President Steven Leath today announced plans to hire 500 tenure-track faculty by 2022 targeting a broad range of research and scholarly disciplines at the leading land-grant university.

The commitment, made during a ceremony marking Leath's installation as Auburn's 19th
president, is a key component of a comprehensive, five-year strategy to expand Auburn's
education, research, partnership and economic development initiatives to meet pressing social
needs. 

"Our vision for Auburn is to become a world-class academic, research and service
university in the true spirit of our land-grant heritage," said Leath. "The strategy and initiatives
launched today are designed to position Auburn as an undisputed go-to destination for that
special caliber of student, faculty, staff and development partner driven to make a meaningful
impact on the state of Alabama, the nation and the world." 

Auburn Provost Bill Hardgrave noted that the expansion of Auburn's faculty will have an
overwhelmingly positive impact on the university's land-grant mission of education, research
and outreach. "By strategically increasing our faculty, we are strengthening our commitment to
providing the highest quality programs while building a unique community of scholars. Our
students will benefit from heightened engagement with a broader cadre of faculty working
across disciplines to expand and drive our educational, research and outreach initiatives."

Auburn has current enrollment of 29,776 full-time students. There are no current plans
to measurably increase undergraduate student enrollment. New graduate student enrollment
initiatives are being planned to grow doctoral student admissions in support of the announced
faculty expansion. The total number of tenured and tenure-track faculty is expected to grow
from 1,144 in 2018 to an estimated 1,250 by 2022 after accounting for typical faculty
retirement and attrition patterns.

Government and economic development leaders expressed their support for the new
hiring initiatives and Auburn's commitment to outreach and engagement.

"I look forward to continuing to work closely with Dr. Steven Leath as he serves as the
19th president of Auburn University," said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. "Dr. Leath genuinely
cares for others and seeks to make a positive difference in our world. As a visionary and
innovative leader, he will honor Auburn's past and move our fine institution into a new era of
prosperity and excellence."

"Dr. Leath has a deep appreciation for the pivotal role strong research universities play
in development," noted Steve R. Spencer, president of the Economic Development Partnership
of Alabama. "They create environments that leading industries need to thrive and attract
a talented workforce, and they are crucial to attracting top students, graduates and businesses
and keeping them in the State. Through Dr. Leath's vision and leadership, we look forward to
even more productive collaboration with Auburn that will help drive Alabama's future
prosperity and growth."

According to the 2017 Auburn University Economic Impact Study, the Auburn University
system and its alumni contributed $5.4 billion to the economy of the State of Alabama in 2016-
2017. The study estimates that Auburn's impact is responsible for creating some 25,826 jobs in
Alabama during that timeframe in addition to the university's own direct employment.

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Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.