W&M Pros and Cons?

IzzoOne
Sun, 30 Apr 2017 19:10:25 +0000

Well, we’re getting off the original topic. My perception is that undergraduate teaching quality is not a major focus at national research universities. While tuition has skyrocketed, spending on actual instruction is pretty much flat. The money has gone toward administration growth, institutionally funded research, and other things not related to undergraduate teaching. Institutions work to produce metrics that indicate a focus on instruction (classes under 20, spending, student faculty ratios, etc.), but these are heavily manipulated. In reality, teaching load has shifted from tenure track to adjuncts, non-tenure, and TAs. Career success, both for faculty and TAs is more dependent on research than on teaching. Revenue from humanities is used to heavily subsidize STEM. Undergraduate advising can be spotty. Institutional success is viewed as linked to research, halo programs, and ratings.