Nine Tulane law profs leaving, 3 permanently, 6 visiting other schools, X-number returning after their visit

In Leaving Tulane Temple law prof Dave Hoffman studies faculty flight from Tulane Law School. Hoffman identifies three junior faculty members leaving Tulane and six faculty members (one junior) visiting other schools next year.

Nine profs off campus in the same year is pretty unusual. That's also 20% of the law faculty. Is Katrina the cause?  Is the post-Katrina culture at Tulane the cause? Or is the cause the impending transformation of Tulane into the Marvelous Land of Oz?

Of course we should anticipate hearing from Tulane Law that "the School wishes everyone well, and welcomes the opportunity to find top notch replacements while awaiting the return of all visiting profs." But what if the vacated positions are left unfilled or are eliminated? For the record, I think the over-under for the six profs returning is two and the faculty will be "right-sized" by attrition.

For more about layoffs and position eliminations at several Tulane departments and the Law Library, see my earlier posts:

• On the Current (and Future) State of the Tulane Law Library (Jan. 12, 2006)
• Damage Control at Tulane Law Library (Jan. 23, 2006)
• AAUP Investigating Tulane Layoffs (Feb. 2, 2006)