University of Virginia Library

Faculty Grows Despite Distribution Problems

By Walter Bardenwerper
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

— Ed.

Is the size of the faculty of the College
of Arts and Sciences increasing commensurately
with increased enrollment?
Judging by the size of many undergraduate
courses, one is inclined to have
serious doubts. However, a recent interview
with David A. Shannon, Dean of the
Faculty of the College, and examination
of the figures supplied by the Office of
Institutional Analysis, reveal that the
problem is more likely one of inefficient
allocation of talent rather than simply a
shortage of personnel.

Faculty Ratio

At present the State Council For Higher
Education sets the faculty-student ratios for
state institutions as follows: 20 students per
faculty member for first and second year
undergraduates, 12 students per faculty
member for third and fourth year
undergraduates, and 9 students per faculty
member for graduate students. These
requirements are applied to the combined
enrollment for state institutions and forwarded
to the state legislature, which, according to
Dean Shannon, has been conscientious in
allocating enough funds to meet the above
ratios.

At present there are approximately 4,600
undergraduates in the college and 1300
graduate students. The ratios are almost precisely
maintained with the present 489 College
faculty members.

Department Duties

In relating the present growth trends to
faculty increases, Dean Shannon points out
that, unlike the Housing situation, the faculty
can only be enlarged to correspond to increased
enrollment. The problem, therefore, is the result
of the duties assigned to faculty members by
departments. Some departments, Dean Shannon
indicates, are attracting so few students that
they are in danger of not being capable of
maintaining their present faculty.

Dean Shannon reports that the University
will receive fewer new faculty positions this
year than last, but that the combined increase
of the two years is greater than for the
preceding two years. The 489 present faculty
members represents an increase of 150 since
1967. Of this 489, there are 114 full professors,
120 Associate Professors, 198 Assistant Professors,
41 Instructors and 16 Lecturers.

New Members

Claiming to be "very pleased" at the selections
of new faculty members for next year,
Dean Shannon outlined the following division
by department of the new positions: Psychology
.... 2; Religious Studies .... 1;
Art .... 1; German .... 1; Sociology/Anthropology
... 3; Biology .... 1; Economics
.... 2; English. . . 2; Government and
Foreign Affairs .... 1; Environmental Sciences
.... 1; Chemistry .... 1; Speech and
Drama .... 2; History .... 1. In addition, the
History Department will utilize the funds from
2 professors on leave without pay to hire two
additional new faculty members.

One Resignation

Remarkably enough, only 1 full time faculty
member in the College of Arts and Sciences has
resigned effective this fall.

Dean Shannon did not have facts immediately
available regarding the hiring of graduate
teaching assistants, but he explained the
method used in determining the number that
may be employed. "For every one full-time
faculty position," he said, "the funds are
divided into fractions for the hiring of assistants."
He roughly estimated that each full time
position so utilized can create approximately
10 positions for graduate assistants. The Departments
of History, Afro American Studies,
and Philosophy will be among those receiving
such additional personnel next year.

By far the majority of faculty members are
funded by revenues from the state. There is,
however, a special "Eminent Scholars Fund"
available for the University to hire available
outstanding men and women when there is no
regular opening for them. Begun in the early
1960's, and intended for the sciences, the fund
was extended by President Shannon to cover
History, Government, Economics, and English.
The state responded to President Shannon's
request by matching any private endowments
with state funds.

The problem of faculty-student relations,
unlike inadequate classroom buildings, is not so
easily attributable to an unconcerned state
legislature. We must question whether the ratios
determined by the State Council For Higher
Education are appropriate to the needs of
students. Even more importantly, we must
question whether the present allocation of
faculty members to various classroom arrangements
is either in the best interests of education
or efficient.

New Format

One department has changed the lecture
format of an introductory course for next year
by offering one lecture and two discussion
sections per week, instead of the customary
opposite. The lecturer will direct some of the
discussion groups in order to increase the
students' opportunity to communicate directly
with him.

This may be one attempt at an answer to the
problems implicit in the forthcoming growth of
the College. Other innovations must be presented
if faculty availability is to be maintained.
Surely the present format and orientation of
teaching and learning at the University is not
the last word in effective higher education.