Adventures in Philosophy at Notre Dame by Sayre Kenneth M.;

Author:Sayre, Kenneth M.; [Sayre, Kenneth M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: PHI000000 Philosophy / General
ISBN: 3441163
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
Published: 2014-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

Sea Change

KEEPING DIFFERENT COMPANY

The transition from Thomism to pluralism depicted in chapter 4 had little immediate effect on the general culture of the department. People were still cordial toward each other and interested in each other’s work. There still were ample opportunities to interact socially with colleagues and their families. Most importantly, the department retained a sense of common purpose. We still thought of philosophy as a way of life, instead of just a way to make a living.

This sense of general affability began to diminish in the late 1970s. The shift itself was gradual and easily missed by someone not paying close attention, like myself at the time. As for long-term effects on the department, however, the transition underway was no less profound than that from Thomism to pluralism a decade or so earlier. The aim of the present chapter is to make the main outlines of this second transition apparent.

We begin with some statistics. During the decade 1950–59, 16 PhDs were hired into the department.1 Of these, 11 were from Catholic universities, and 5 (Sobocinski, the younger FitzGerald, Nielsen, Fisk, and myself) from non-Catholic institutions. Corresponding figures from 1960–69 are 14 PhDs from Catholic schools and 6 from non-Catholic, for a total of 20 new hires at the PhD level. A total of 24 PhDs were recruited in1970–79, including 5 from Catholic and 19 from non-Catholic institutions. For the decade 1980–89, there were 3 new faculty from Catholic and 24 from non-Catholic programs, for a total of 27 new hires with PhDs.

Two significant trends appear in these figures. One pertains to rate of hiring. During 1950–59, 16 PhDs were newly hired into the department, at a rate of 1.6 per year. Corresponding rates are 2.0 per year for 1960–69, 2.4 for 1970–79, and 2.7 for 1980–89. These figures are consistent with a gradual growth in department size. But they also suggest an increasing rate of turnover in department personnel.

More significant for present purposes is the increasing proportion of new hires from non-Catholic institutions. During the 1950s, 31 percent of new faculty came from non-Catholic programs. Corresponding proportions subsequently are 30 percent for 1960–69, 79 percent for 1970–79, and 89 percent for 1980–89. Put otherwise, the proportion of PhDs recruited from Catholic institutions shrivels from roughly two-thirds in the 1950s to about one-tenth in the 1980s. And in that later decade, only one hire came from a Catholic university other than ND itself.2 These statistics pertain to faculty entering the department. Equally striking are statistics regarding departures. Records show that 12 regular faculty (with PhDs, having stayed at least three years) left the department during the 1950s. Most of these either retired or moved to administrative positions. As far as I can tell, only 4 transferred to other academic positions, 3 of whom (Phelan, Glanville, and Denissoff) went to other Catholic institutions.

Twelve faculty also left during the 1960s. Four of these retired and 8 took other academic jobs. Five of these latter, or 62 percent, took jobs at Catholic universities.

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