The pioneering faculty at the Arizona International Campus of the UA say they are enthused about teaching at the new campus in spite of concerns over a lack of tenure and educational history.

Seven, full-time professors were hired earlier this year from a pool of 500 applicants to teach at the new liberal arts institution, which opened Aug. 22.

David Gnage, a part-time professor teaching a class called "Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Methods," said he was attracted to AIC because of its emphasis on undergraduate education.

"The commitment to organizing a new plan for undergraduate education is what attracted me (to AIC). I wanted to do something new," Gnage said.

Director of Academic Programs and Professor of History Edward Clausen said the match between him and AIC was "too good to be true" because of the new campus' unusual focus.

"I was attracted to AIC because of the emphasis on internships, community service and an international focus," Clausen said, who formally taught at Chengdu University of Science and Technology in China.

Gnage said the emphasis on working closely with students is one of the advantages of teaching at AIC.

"The professors and faculty here have a strong commitment to student learning," Gnage said.

Concern has been brought up over AIC's policy, which does not grant tenure to its faculty, but professors at the new campus are not worried.

Clausen, who left a fully tenured position at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., before teaching at AIC, said tenure at the new campus is not a necessity.

"At a new university, tenure is not the norm. It is not applicable to every university," Clausen said.

Clausen said he was generally opposed to tenure because it damages academic freedom and can cause those who have it to change their attitude.

"Once people get (tenure) they become different," Clausen said. "They don't feel they have to be responsible to anyone."

Although the new campus is in its first year and lacking the educational tradition and stability of other universities and colleges, Professor of Life Sciences Charles Paulson said he is not fazed.

"This is an opportunity to come up with our own identity and direction in higher education," Paulson said. "We have the challenge of creating a new tradition."

A memorandum issued by AIC indicated entry-level professors with less than five years teaching experience will earn between $34,000 and $45,000 per year. Professors with between five and 20 years experience will earn between $41,000 and $66,000 per year, while the starting salary for professors with over 20 years of teaching experience will be $66,000, annually.

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