一流的大学教师为何离去——美国印地安那大学特色退休制度的兴弃及反拨效应

Retirement Benefits and Teacher Turnover:A Case Study of Indiana University in the U.S.(1980s to Late 1990s)

20世纪80年代初至90年代末的20年,美国学术界经历了与我国今日颇似的历程——高水平大学日逾重视研究成果,以学科为指向的专业学术共同体成形、教师的"学科人"身份逐渐清晰。一流学者或为追求更开阔的学术发展平台、或优渥的薪资待遇,而更加频繁地校际流动。与我国大多数大学相似——案例大学虽在某些学科领域具有相当实力,但尚不足以独占鳌头,须不断充实人才、力保优势。不幸的是,在这一时期,大学废弃了一批以退休制度为代表的学校特色制度,有效的人才聚拢圩堤溃塌,英才外流加速。

During the two decades between the 1980 s to late 1990 s,prestigious universities in the U. S. began to attach far more importance to research than to teaching. The university teacher was gradually transformed from a teaching position into an academic one. In other words,the university teacher became"the academic man",who prefers to identify himself not as teaching staff but a member of the academic community of his own field of study. As a result,many good teachers frequently changed from one university to another,in pursuit of academic excellence as well as better pay. At that time,Indiana University,though well-recognized in a few fields of study,was a not-so-elite university in the U. S. It had difficulty in attracting and maintaining top talents. What's worse,due to ever-tightening budgets,the university had to abolish things like retirement benefits for the faculty,which finally led to a damaging brain drain.Many higher education institutions in China today are facing similar problems confronting Indiana University 30 years ago. Therefore,lessons we learned here are also applicable to China.