Faculty retention in dental hygiene programs

This study assesses the extent to which faculty turnover in dental hygiene programs is related to the type of educational institution. A questionnaire was mailed to 201 dental hygiene program directors; 17 5 responded (87 percent). Nearly 47 per-cent of the directors associated with programs in state colleges and universities indicated they had experienced some degree of difficulty retaining faculty in the past five years; less than 18 percent of those in community colleges and technical schools experienced similar problems. Faculty attrition due to personal reasons and job and salary dissatisfaction occurred to a slightly greater extent in state educational institutions than in community colleges and technical schools. Achieving tenure was perceived as a problem primarily by directors of programs in state colleges and universities. Although inadequate salary was a direct cause of attrition in some cases, the degree to which it influenced personal reasons for leaving was not determined.