Our faculty also benefits from a higher degree of diversity than most forestry and wood products academic units, with four women and five minorities in tenured or tenure-track positions. Furthermore, two of the women have received tenure and have taken active leadership roles within the School, the University, and professional organizations at the national level. Although MTU is often viewed as a regional institution, the graduate programs and faculty research in the SFWP are highly visible nationally and internationally. Six faculty have taken sabbaticals since 1988, five in the last three years. We have extensive international programs in which faculty are engaged in substantial research in China, Poland, Slovakia, Indonesia, Japan, Portugal, the Miombo Woodlands of central and southern Africa, Sahelian Africa, and Canada.
Smaller efforts are underway in other countries.
The SFWP Charter contains a complete enumeration of the factors considered. The criteria for research staff merit adjustments are also included in the Charter. All academic units at MTU have received the same average salary adjustment in recent years, which means a uniformly strong unit has received the same percentage merit adjustment as units with less strength. Our most critical weakness is a severe shortage of suitable space. This issue is addressed under Goal 7.