Mounting concerns of retaining University of Wisconsin System faculty after a coming wave of retirements and departures for other competitive positions were at the forefront of a conversation Thursday at the UW System Board of Regents meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide an open discussion for the regents to confront the problem and toss around opinions concerning an aging faculty.

Board of Regents President Kevin Reilly said one of the biggest emerging issues for the UW System is the “graying” of faculty.

According to Reilly, many experts predict incoming academic professionals may not be able to compensate for the number of faculty who are retiring nationally.

“We may be looking at a national bidding war as each university tries to attract the best faculty and staff,” Reilly said. “This will result in a growing intensity in efforts to recruit and maintain faculty and staff.”

Alan Crist, associate vice president of human resources at UW, said the ultimate challenge for the UW System is to grow and maintain quality in a transitioning workforce.

Crist cited strict budgets and economic instability as factors that will make this challenge more difficult to address effectively.

According to Crist, once state revenue projections are revealed on Nov. 20, it will be easier to gauge how much funding will be available for the retention and recruitment of faculty.

Following the November state revenue projections, regents will approve the 2009-11 pay plan for UW System funding on Dec. 4. The formulation of the pay plan will be based largely on discussions held Thursday.

Reilly said because of national economic conditions, both state and federal governments should address the issue of recruitment and retention.

Regent Michael Spector added although it is a viable option to simply ask for more funds, the UW System should continue to search for new and innovative ways to recruit faculty.

“We need creative thinking in how we can recruit people based on factors other than short-term money matters. I don’t know what they are, but I think we need to develop a new approach,” Spector said.