Core Requirement 2.8

CR 2.8. The number of full-time faculty members is adequate to support the mission of the institution and to ensure the quality and integrity of each of its academic programs. (Faculty)

The university has well established policies regarding faculty definitions and loads, and continually monitors internal data to ensure that the number of full-time faculty members is adequate to support the mission of the institution.

1. Mission

The mission of Shenandoah University is as follows:

Shenandoah University educates and inspires individuals to be critical, reflective thinkers; lifelong learners; and ethical, compassionate citizens who are committed to making responsible contributions within a community, a nation and the world.

Faculty hiring and workload are structured to support this mission.

2. Full-time Faculty

Faculty categories at Shenandoah University are divided between Full-time and Part-time. Full-time faculty teaching undergraduate courses must possess a master’s degree or its equivalent in an appropriate field. The equivalency of experience in lieu of a degree is considered only in rare instances and when conclusive evidence exists. Faculty members are expected to have experience related to the area of employment at Shenandoah and to be productive, creative scholars. Those faculty teaching graduate courses must have the terminal degree, normally in the area of instruction. (Faculty Handbook 4.8.2.2 Criteria for Faculty)

Full-time faculty ranks and their qualifications include: (Faculty Handbook 4.10.4 Qualifications for Promotion in Rank and Career Faculty Contract)

Instructor: Holds a masters degree in the appropriate discipline; employs appropriate teaching methods for conveying ideas, learning objectives, developing assignments and assessing student learning; demonstrates scholarly promise; is active in division, school and/or university service related activities and participate in outside service activities.

Assistant Professor: Holds a terminal degree in the appropriate discipline or three years teaching experience at the instructor level; employs appropriate teaching methods for conveying ideas, learning objectives, developing assignments and assessing student learning; demonstrates scholarly promise; is active in division, school and/or university service related activities and participates in outside service activities.

Associate Professor: Holds a terminal degree in the appropriate discipline and five years experience as Assistant Professor; demonstrates a high level of instructional skill; has an accepted or in print peer-reviewed publication in discipline or a peer or professionally reviewed artistic performance or exhibition at a significant state, regional, national or international venue that reflects appropriate professional recognition and artistic accomplishment for the discipline completed at the rank of assistant professor; is active in division, school and/or university service related activities and participates in outside service activities.

Professor: Holds a terminal degree in the appropriate discipline and five years experience as Associate Professor; has one or more of the following items: innovation in teaching, pedagogical scholarship, mentorship and/or leadership in faculty teaching; has accepted or in print two peer-reviewed publications in discipline or a peer or professionally reviewed artistic performances or exhibitions at a significant state, regional, national or international venue that reflects appropriate professional recognition and artistic accomplishment for the discipline completed at the rank of associate professor; demonstrates leadership in division, school and/or university service related activities or outside service activities.

Professional librarians may also be granted faculty status. The library director recommends the initial rank of appointment to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (hereafter VPAA) based on candidate credentials and prior experience.(Faculty Handbook 4.3 Faculty Status of Professional Librarians)

The VPAA and president approve final assignment of initial rank. (Faculty Handbook 4.6.3.1.9 Assignment of Initial Rank)

3. Part-time Faculty

Part-time faculty statuses are divided among:

Auxiliary adjunct faculty: Instruction is the primary responsibility with limited involvement beyond teaching expected. The annual workload is expected to be no less than 50 percent or more than 75 percent of a full-time faculty load. (4.6.3.3 Auxiliary Adjunct Faculty)

Adjuvant adjunct faculty: Instruction is the primary responsibility with involvement beyond teaching encouraged but not required. The annual workload is expected to be 50 percent or less of a full-time faculty load.( 4.6.3.4 Adjuvant Adjunct Faculty)

Affiliate Clinical faculty: The School of Health Professions (SHP) relies on health care providers to provide supervision, instruction, and evaluation of Shenandoah University students during the clinical phase of their educational experience. These individuals are qualified by academic preparation and clinical experience.(4.6.3.5 Affiliate Clinical Faculty)

Clinical faculty (Health Professions): Instruction is the primary responsibility with teaching load variable according to need, but normally not more than six equated hours per term. Involvement beyond instruction is program dependent. In some programs clinical faculty participate in any number of activities beyond teaching in the classroom or laboratory or clinic. (4.6.3.6 Clinical Faculty)

4. Full-time Faculty Responsibilities

It is expected that every faculty member should be involved in teaching, scholarly activities and service. In keeping with the mission of the university, the primary role of the faculty is teaching. Teaching is defined as all the activities employed by the faculty in order to transmit, transform, guide and extend knowledge to students. Teaching begins with what the teacher knows and is a dynamic endeavor involving all the analogies, metaphors and images that build bridges between the student’s understanding and the student’s learning. For most faculty members, the largest portion of time will be devoted to teaching responsibilities. The teaching load for faculty is normally 24 “equated hours,” or 8 3-credit classes, per Fall/Spring semester academic year. The 24 equated hours are considered 75% of total faculty responsibility. (Faculty Handbook, 4.6.3.1.5 Teaching Load, 4.10.1 Philosophy and Purpose, and 4.10.4.1 Teaching)

Teaching load is calculated on the basis of course types and course load according to Table 2.8-1 Course Type Codes and Load Values below. In addition, courses are also defined by location, delivery methods, and interaction expectations, as defined in Table 2.8-2: Location, Delivery, and Interaction Enrollment Reporting Categories.

The remaining 25% of faculty activity consists of faculty responsibilities beyond teaching related to scholarship and service. The pursuit of scholarship, research, professional practice and creative activities and service to the institution and community are considered complementary to demonstrating and improving excellence in teaching and integral to the mission to educate and inspire. The percentage of time and energy devoted to each of these activities can vary from one faculty member to another and, for each individual faculty, from one time period to another. Shenandoah University recognizes and encourages diversity among faculty in the contributions they make within their individual areas of expertise. (Faculty Handbook, 4.6.3.1.5 Teaching Load and 4.10.1 Philosophy and Purpose.)

Scholarship is defined as a broad range of intellectual and creative activities that result in the continued development of knowledge. Scholarship is considered essential for effective teaching. Scholarly and creative activities promote the intellectual, professional and artistic development of faculty members, while enhancing the contribution that the faculty members make to the mission of the university and to the development of their discipline. In particular, publication and off-campus professional activities bring the faculty member into contact with other artists, professionals and scholars who are dedicated to the advancement of the discipline in academic settings while also demonstrating a faculty members’ commitment to advancements in their field. (Faculty Handbook, 4.10.4.2 Scholarship: Research and Creative Activity)

Service is defined as contributions to the university, the community and the profession. Full-time faculty share with university administration responsibility for advancing the mission, goals and objectives of Shenandoah University, with faculty specifically assigned primary responsibility for “developing curricula and programs, promoting quality through evaluation of faculty and curricular offerings, and active participation in the governance of the university.” All faculty members are expected to contribute to improving the educational environment of the university through a reasonable commitment to service. University service may be demonstrated through committee work at the department, division, school, and/or university levels; recruiting and retention efforts with students; public relations activities; development; and other special assignments or activities. (Faculty Handbook, 3.2 Purpose)

The Faculty Senate in the governing body of the faculty, and its work is accomplished through its one standing committee, Faculty Affairs, and five university standing committees, including Academic Policies, Curriculum, Information and Technology, Faculty Evaluation, and Faculty Development. (Faculty Handbook, 4.10.4.3 Service, 3.5.1.1 Faculty Affairs Committee, 3.5.2. Academic Policies Committee, 3.5.3 Curriculum Committee, 3.5.4 Information and Technology Committee, 3.5.5 Faculty Development Committee, 3.5.6 Faculty Evaluation Committee). Faculty Senators are also designated to represent the Senate on the following Committees of the Board of Trustees: Executive, Academic Affairs, Advancement, Student Affairs, Building and Grounds, Administration and Finance. (3.7 Faculty Representation to Committees of the Board of Trustees).

In addition, full-time faculty participate in governance, curriculum, and evaluation at the college/school and division/department levels. (Faculty Handbook, 2.2 Administrative Structure, 2.6 Curriculum Committees in the Schools).

Assignment as a department chair is considered as part of a faculty member’s service. However, the institution recognizes that administering a department will require additional time and effort, and so calculates either extra compensation or release time according to the following guidelines:

1. an average of 1-4 hours of work per week counts toward service to the institution.

2. an average of 5-8 hours of work per week equates to 3-4 credit release per year or $800 per credit stipend, up to $2,400.

3. an average of 9+ hours of work per week equates to 6-8 credit release per year or $800 per credit stipend, up to $4,800.

Deans or directors stipulate the level of administrative work necessary for each role. In general, hours are figured using the following formula:

– 0.5 hours per week for each full-time faculty member in the department
– .2 hours per week for each 3-credit course taught by an adjunct
– 1.0 hour per 1000 credit hours

All other forms of release times or stipends for administrative duty requires the VPAA’s approval. (General Guidelines for Administrative Assignment)

The concept of community service is expected to extend beyond those activities commonly associated with professional activities of university faculty members, such as consulting, lecturing, publishing or membership in professional organizations. Community service is defined as those usually voluntary activities outside the university that go beyond the activities commonly associated with faculty duties. It is limited to voluntary service without significant financial compensation. Community service activities may or may not be within the faculty member’s area of expertise and may be demonstrated by such activities as volunteer service; civic, political, or religious activities; committee membership; political activities; or elected office. Clinical service is an expectation of some faculty members and it may be documented through the development of an active site that provides clinical services to the community. (Faculty Handbook, 4.10.4.3 Service)

When faculty members participate in the full range of responsibilities beyond teaching and such participation is documented to the dean/director, they receive overload compensation at the academic unit’s established rate for all instructional duties beyond the 24 equated hours. (Faculty Handbook, 4.6.3.1.5 Teaching Load)

Faculty are evaluated on an annual basis to insure high quality instruction and a balance between teaching duties and faculty responsibilities beyond teaching. Students evaluate all classes with three or more students every semester. Student evaluations are conducted on-line, and in order to maximize participation, faculty are encouraged to conduct evaluations through a proctor during class time. Since Shenandoah is a ubiquitous Macintosh laptop campus, all students have access to the Iota Solutions on-line evaluation site at https://sueval.com. At the conclusion of the semester, each faculty member, the department chair, and the dean receive a copy of the student evaluation report.

In addition to student evaluations, all faculty undergo an annual review through the filing of the Personal Professional Plan (PPP) report during the Spring semester. In addition to presenting a professional plan for the upcoming academic year, the PPP also summarizes faculty activities during the current year, including data on teaching load, number of advisors, and over-all teaching evaluation. The PPP is reviewed by the department chair and the dean and becomes part of the faculty member’s permanent file. One of its principal functions is to insure that faculty are maintaining the proper balance among their teaching, scholarship, and service activities. A sample PPP is attached.

5. Student/Faculty Ratios
Shenandoah University considers both full-time equivalent (FTE) majors and the FTE headcount by credit hours to determine student/faculty ratio for each major program. The student/faculty ratio provides the basis for determining whether or not the university has a sufficient number of full-time faculty to support its mission and ensure the integrity and quality of academic programs.

FTE by Majors. FTE Majors refers to the number of students who have officially declared their intention to complete a degree within that discipline and measures the student demand for a program. The number of FTE Majors is calculated based on fall student headcounts as reported on the October 1 census report. This headcount includes students who have declared the major, including concentrations, and imbedded certificate programs. Table 2.8-3 provides FTE by Major for the 2013-14 academic year. The full-time equivalent of the institution’s part-time enrollment is estimated by multiplying part-time headcount (Column F) by using the IPED’s weighting factor of .392857 for undergraduates, .382059 for graduate, and .545454 for first professional (pharmacy) students. These are then added to the full-time enrollment headcounts (Column E) to obtain an FTE headcount (Column G) for all students enrolled in the fall. The student/faculty ratio by major (Column H) is then determined by dividing the FTE major headcount by the number of full-time faculty lines (Column D) assigned to the program.

While the number of majors impacts course enrollments and teaching loads, it also influences the quality of faculty advising and mentorship. Shenandoah University prides itself on providing personal attention to students throughout their academic careers, and seeks to, as recommended by Joe Cuseo, “aintain advisee-to-advisor ratios that are small enough to enable delivery of personalized advising.” Accordingly, Shenandoah seeks to maintain a 15/1 student major/full-time faculty ratio. Any ratio exceeding 20/1 will result in consideration of additional full-time faculty lines.

FTE by Credit Hours. Credit hours are a measure of the productivity of a program and recognize the service component of programs in meeting general education and other mission driven curricular obligations as well as delivering courses to program majors. As such, it gives the institution more accurate data on actual instructional loads than simply looking at the number of majors. Table 2.8-4 FTE Student/Faculty Ratios By Credit Hour provides data on the breakdown between full-time and part-time faculty by program as well as FTE by credit hours full-time student/faculty ratios for the 2013-14 academic year. Credit hours are determined by multiplying the number of students enrolled in a class by the number of credits awarded for the class. Data for part-time faculty full-time equivalencies and credit hours generated by full-time and part-time faculty (Columns E, F and G) for this metric is drawn from the university’s RSCHED (Fall) and RSCHED (Spring) report as of census day for Fall (October 1) and Spring (February 1) semesters. Column I presents an FTE headcount of students taught by full-time faculty calculated by dividing column F by the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia weighting factor of 15 credits per undergraduate and 12 credits for graduate FTEs. The student/faculty ratio by credit hour (Column J) is then determined by dividing the FTE headcount (Column I) by the number of full-time faculty lines (Column D) assigned to the program.

Shenandoah seeks to maintain small class size taught by full-time faculty in order to provide high quality personal attention to student academic needs and to insure that faculty instructional duties, most specifically student evaluation, remain in balance with the responsibilities beyond teaching identified above. Accordingly, Shenandoah seeks to maintain a maximum overall student/faculty ratio of 15/1, or an average of 19 students in each of the 8 classes taught or a total headcount of 76 students per semester by full-time faculty in an academic year. Any program where the average ratio over Fall and Spring semester exceeds the 15/1 ratio is considered understaffed and will be considered for additional full-time faculty lines.

6. Analysis
Shenandoah University, with very few exceptions, meets its target student faculty ratios across all programs. The institution is addressing those exceptions:

Exercise Science, Kinesiology, and Sports Management

These three majors were established in the Fall 2013 as a consequence of the reorganization of a single Kinesiology major with four concentrations: Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Physical Education, and Sports Management. By 2012-13 the major had reached over 200 students (nearly ¼ of all College of Arts and Sciences majors), and the concentrations had evolved into discreet programs with a minimal core curriculum. During 2012-13 the faculty proposed dividing the program into three separate degree programs, and the new Sports Management program was moved to the Byrd School of Business. Dividing the program did not solve our staffing issues, and new lines were created for both Exercise Science and Sports Administration and filled for the 2015-16 academic year, and we are currently conducting a search for a 5th full-time line in Exercise Science. Those positions will bring those two programs into line with our target ratios. The new Kinesiology major includes both physical education as well as about 30 holdover students in a closed general kinesiology concentration. Once those students cycle through, we expect the program to be in compliance with our student/faculty ratio targets.

Kinesiology is also one of the few programs in which it appears that we do not meet SACSCOC requirements regarding percentage of classes taught by full-time faculty. In our reorganization, a whole range of activities classes (physical fitness, Jazzercise, weightlifting, etc) that are not part of degree programs were maintained under the program. These classes are all taught by part-time faculty, mostly coaches, and generate a significant number of credit hours.

College of Arts and Sciences

In the College of Arts and Sciences the principal program of concern has been the rapidly growing Criminal Justice major. The third faculty line in CJ was added during the 2013-14 academic year, but it did not keep up with enrollments. Accordingly, we are currently conducting a search for a fourth full-time faculty line for that program.

Sociology also missed university targets with regard to percentage of students taught by full-time faculty and student/faculty ratios for part-time faculty. This is a one-year aberration resulting from the single sociology professor being on sabbatical leave during the Fall 2013 semester.

Byrd School of Business

Sports Management was discussed above. All other programs meeting institutional targets with regard to faculty/student ratios by major and credit hours. At least 50% of students are taught by full-time faculty in all programs.

Shenandoah Conservatory

Given the overlapping requirements and performance components of Conservatory degree programs, designating specific faculty lines to specific degrees is more art than science as most faculty teach in multiple programs. The attached Conservatory worksheet was used to calculate this information.

The Masters program in Music Education and the Bachelors of Music Therapy both exceed university guidelines for faculty/student ratios for majors, although both are well under our targets for faculty/student ratio by credit hour. However, it must be taken into consideration that faculty teach across all three degree programs in Music Ed and across both Music Therapy programs, and when this is taken into consideration, both programs meet university expectations. Nevertheless, a new Music Therapy position was added in 2014-15.

Music Theater Accompanying is the only Conservatory program not meeting university expectation with regard to at least 50% of students being taught by full-time faculty. As the data indicates, this is not a staffing problem as more full-time than part-time faculty are assigned to the program. The Music Theater Accompanying program has been advised to monitor more closely its allocation of faculty resources to insure that university targets are being met.

Custer School of Nursing

All degree programs fall below faculty/student target ratios both by majors and credit hours, and more than 50% of students are taught by full-time faculty.

School of Education and Human Development

All degree programs fall below faculty/student target ratios both by majors and credit hours, and more than 50% of students are taught by full-time faculty.

School of Health Professions

Within the School of Health Professions, the Physician Assistant program exceeded student/faculty ratio targets for the number of majors as well as by credit hours for part-time instructors. Two additional faculty lines were added for the 2014-15 academic year.

Although both Occupational and Physical Therapy programs met university targets for student/faculty ratios by major and credit hour for full-time faculty, student/faculty ratios were above target for part-time instructors. One additional Occupational Therapy and two Physical Therapy positions were added for the 2014-15 academic year.

Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy

All degree programs fall below faculty/student target ratios both by majors and credit hours, and more than 50% of students are taught by full-time faculty.

Official faculty lists for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years are attached. Fall 2013 FT Faculty
Fall 2014 FT Faculty

Supporting Documentation