2.8 Faculty
The number of full-time faculty members is adequate to support the mission of the institution and to ensure the quality and integrity of its academic programs.
Upon application for candidacy, an applicant institution demonstrates that it meets the comprehensive standard for faculty qualifications.
Judgment of Off-Site Review Committee
Non-Compliance
Comments of Off-Site Review Committee
The college built its case primarily on the number of FTE faculty rather than on the number of actual full-time faculty as anticipated by the standard. Thus the committee was unable to determine if the number of full-time faculty was adequate to meet the expectations of this standard.
Bennett Focused Response
Bennett College employs an adequate number of qualified and diverse full-time faculty to support its mission. Collectively, the faculty at Bennett collaborate to support the college’s mission in the areas of teaching effectiveness, professional development, research, grantsmanship, and service. The following is stated in the mission statement in the College Catalog specifically addressing the student learning outcomes achieved as a result of the role of the faculty in the mission of the College:
“The College welcomes students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, recognizing that the educational experience is enriched and strengthened when multiple voices are represented and heard. Operating in an interdisciplinary, learning-centered environment, students, working with faculty and staff, will learn to use sophisticated intellectual skills, think analytically, and solve problems in ways that respect a variety of viewpoints and deepen their understanding of different cultures.”
The number of full-time faculty needed also is determined by the degree programs offered, accredited programs, student-faculty ratio, annual student enrollment, class size, teaching loads, and work loads. In addition to instruction, faculty are responsible for developing course syllabi, advising students, and assisting with registration. (Faculty Handbook, pages 54-56). Overall, faculty are expected to excel in three areas of faculty effectiveness: teaching, research and/or scholarly achievement, and service. (See Tenure and Promotion Criteria, Faculty Handbook, pages 27-53).
The different ranks of faculty and the definitions of full-time and part-time faculty are described in the Faculty Handbook pp. 23-26. The professorial ranks of faculty members are Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Instructor. Full-time faculty members are also defined as either Tenure Track or Non-tenure track faculty members. Tenure Track faculty can apply for tenure in the College after completion of a probationary period. Non-tenure track faculty are not eligible to apply for tenure but can apply for promotion. A course load for a full-time faculty member is twelve credit hours. (Faculty Handbook, pages 54-56). Unless the faculty member has course release time or is a Department of Division Chair, a faculty member teaching less than twelve credit hours of courses is considered a part-time faculty member. (Faculty Handbook, pages 91-92). Part-time faculty are hired to teach the course load of faculty members who may have course release time or to teach additional sections of required courses which may have to be scheduled in a given semester due to student demand. These part-time faculty members are hired on a per semester basis.
Number of Full-Time Faculty
The number of full-time faculty for the academic year, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 are presented in the College FactBook 2007-2008, p.19 and the FTE of the total student enrollment are presented in the College FactBook 2007-2008, p.8. The student-to-faculty ratio at Bennett College, using actual numbers of full-time faculty as opposed to FTE of faculty, provides evidence of the adequacy of full-time faculty. These ratios are consistent with the mission of the College as it relates to size and academic offerings.
| Academic Year |
Full-time Faculty |
Student FTE |
Student-to-Faculty Ratio |
2007 |
48 |
664 |
14:1 |
2006 |
46 |
598 |
13:1 |
2005 |
45 |
569 |
13:1 |
2004 |
55 |
503 |
9:1 |
Also, when compared to institutions with a similar mission, our student-to-faculty ratio is higher but not significantly higher. It is important to note that the comparable institutions are accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. See table below:
| College/University |
Student-to-Faculty Ratio |
Bennett College |
14:1 |
Agnes Scott College |
10:1 |
Meredith College |
10:1 |
Spelman College |
12:1 |
Peace College |
11:1 |
Supporting Documents