A Program to Strategically Recruit and Retain Talented Faculty

Project Lead: Council of Deans

Funding Approved: Fiscal Year 23
Project Status: In Progress  
Funded amount: $7.5M over two years

Building a campus community that is talented, inclusive, and rich in diversity of backgrounds and perspectives is fundamental to the university’s mission of excellence in teaching and research.

The first round of funding for the HIHI program (FY21) provided funds towards the strategic hiring and retention of 25 high-performing faculty in seven colleges. The success of the HIHI program has had a measurable impact across all strategic priority areas.

The continuation and expansion of the program to include strategic recruitments in areas of excellence has had an even greater impact on educational and research programs that make Iowa distinct. 

Activities to date:

• In July 2023, the program was provided an additional $5 million in funding through the SPARC Strategic Plan Implementation Fund
• As of May 13, 2024, $11.7 million had been committed to fund 60 HIHI requests, including 41 faculty recruitments across 10 colleges
• HIHI funds were used to support faculty retention efforts in six different UI colleges

Next Steps:

The HIHI program has been an incredibly useful tool for the university in its efforts to recruit and retain exceptional faculty members. Given how critical a tool the program has become in helping the university support growth and sustainability in strategic areas, the project has been provided additional funding through the SPARC Strategic Plan Implementation Fund.