SectionsSenate looks to limit per course
Kathryn Wall
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: News
Debate echoed in the Faculty Senate meeting on Oct. 9 over limiting the use of per course faculty.
On one side of the issue, there is a concern for teaching quality and retention levels. On another is the unease of full-time staff with workload and other responsibilities.
"I don't think we should have a blanket policy," said Dan Kaufman, professor in the philosophy department and member of the Faculty Senate.
Caught somewhere in the middle is the value of per course faculty in specific fields as well as their necessity in departments that lack the resources to have a complete full-time staff.
At this time, there is not a policy going into effect on per course instructor use or a numeric quota that cannot be exceeded, but Chris Craig, acting associate provost, said he expects administrators are asking for data in order to make some changes.
The data that has been compiled thus far is a comparative analysis of Missouri State and other benchmark schools, including Illinois State University, University of Montana and Wichita State University.
The data distributed at the meeting showed Missouri State's numbers exceeding the average ratio of part-time to full-time teaching staff of these other schools within the last three years.
The data also included a graph of part-time to full-time faculty at Missouri State divided by each college. The graph overall showed a growing trend.
Craig said he reported on this data to the Faculty Senate after a request by the executive senate to divide the ratio into use by each college.
One concern of the full-time faculty seemed to be that, with less per course teachers sharing the workload, there would be less time for research in their specific fields.
"These are conversations in finding the balance," Craig said. "Education will always be the focus, but research also has importance."
Craig said Missouri State is an institution known for classes taught primarily by professors.
On one side of the issue, there is a concern for teaching quality and retention levels. On another is the unease of full-time staff with workload and other responsibilities.
"I don't think we should have a blanket policy," said Dan Kaufman, professor in the philosophy department and member of the Faculty Senate.
Caught somewhere in the middle is the value of per course faculty in specific fields as well as their necessity in departments that lack the resources to have a complete full-time staff.
At this time, there is not a policy going into effect on per course instructor use or a numeric quota that cannot be exceeded, but Chris Craig, acting associate provost, said he expects administrators are asking for data in order to make some changes.
The data that has been compiled thus far is a comparative analysis of Missouri State and other benchmark schools, including Illinois State University, University of Montana and Wichita State University.
The data distributed at the meeting showed Missouri State's numbers exceeding the average ratio of part-time to full-time teaching staff of these other schools within the last three years.
The data also included a graph of part-time to full-time faculty at Missouri State divided by each college. The graph overall showed a growing trend.
Craig said he reported on this data to the Faculty Senate after a request by the executive senate to divide the ratio into use by each college.
One concern of the full-time faculty seemed to be that, with less per course teachers sharing the workload, there would be less time for research in their specific fields.
"These are conversations in finding the balance," Craig said. "Education will always be the focus, but research also has importance."
Craig said Missouri State is an institution known for classes taught primarily by professors.
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