Throughout the academic year, press releases have announced the retirement of faculty members at MC, including long-time professors Jan Taylor, Kathie Shiba and Barbara Johnson. In addition, Rayanne Streeter left after the 2025 fall semester, and MC will lose professors Jeff Kelly, Aaron Astor and Samantha Astor at the end of the spring semester. These individuals are not retiring, but are finding opportunities elsewhere.
While some faculty can call MC home, making it their career and staying at the College for decades, a trend of faculty turnover is noticeable, and begs the question of why some professors choose to leave.
Dr. Aaron Astor, professor of history, attributes the high turnover among newly hired professors to the rise in the cost of living. He started at MC in 2007, and was able to secure affordable housing before the city of Maryville was “discovered,” he said, adding that housing prices have practically doubled since 2007…