Inside Higher Ed has an interesting article on a study done by Dan Jacoby, the Harry Bridges Professor of Labor Studies at the University of Washington.
In short, Jacoby maintains that the higher the full-time faculty percentage the greater the graduation rate at community colleges.
I think this is a tough call, considering the fact that so many students who attend community colleges do NOT intend to graduate in the first place. They go for lots of other reasons - to brush up, for employment advancement, for the fun of it, to meet people....
Community Colleges have different missions as well. They supply certificates, career training and so on.
Generally, students who enroll in four year colleges do so with an intent to graduate. Perhaps we could get a better picture of full-time faculty and grad rates if that were viewed.
It should be that more full-time faculty means a college is more desirable because profs will be more readily available for counsel and such. But, even that is not the case when tenured profs hole themselves up and turn their classes over to TAs.
So, what difference does a full-time faculty make? Mighten it be better to have more practitioner faculty - faculty who also work in their field AND know how to teach?
What do you think?
Comment Preview