Hey, BamaAlum,
I pretty much agree with you. Turnover is natural and it doesn't usually bother me that much, since I've worked in the business sector before and understand how the ebb and flow of things. And I don't care that much about the FM dept. either; they have some good and some okay professors, but they do a good job with what they have. As I look back, I think that nothing was terribly wrong with my education, but I don't know how much of that was me working independently, doing what needed to be done, and how much was the result of instruction. It's hard to separate the two... I mean we all know what we have to do, it's just either harder or easier to get what we need... It's such a blur and it is amazing how fast things move.
Anyway, one of the reasons I think Dr. B leaving is a fairly big loss, is because she actually cared about the students and in my opinion, losing a professor who has that kind of attitude who has been there that long and then hiring a rent-a-prof who doesn't care that much (and fairly unavailable), is a bit sad.
Yes, so going back to turnover. It's the trend that bothers me. There's turnover everwhere, but there is a sort of a corporate ethos that facilitates it around campus. I don't know how to put it into words. I guess the best I can do is to say that the school is run like a business these days, not an academic institution. My sense is that it has become somewhat of a driving force in their decisions and processes, instead of favoring a sound academic environment. I've heard some stories from professors and fellows on how it is to work at the university and there is some corroboration with my sense. Anyway, two professors have already left (and, yes, Dean Willsie is definitely gone; she resigned completely) and one is going to follow shortly (Dr. B). The word is that more are to follow and not just in the clinical departments, in basic science, too. There is no tenure at the university, as far as I know. I'm sure that makes it easy to leave if the environment isn't favorable.
So, yeah, I'm concerned. I don't like it that decent professors are leaving and we get more and more rent-a-profs. I don't like it that business is driving the school. I know turnover happens at every school, but it seems to be happening at a frequency that bothers me and I don't like what is being done and the reasons why it's happening.
I guess what the incoming first-years don't know won't hurt them. There's nothing to miss, since they are coming into a particular environment and will likely adapt to it. I just think there are plenty of other schools where this crap isn't going on. While I can't say how much of an impact the business decisions are impacting the academics, I do think it's having some. Where there is choice of schools out there, it would be wise to investigate and choose accordingly.
!! I love me some Guinness and there are few things in life finer than good red wine. It's all the B vitamins and antioxidants. Really. 
