Less than half of college and university faculty are satisfied with the academic quality of the students in their classrooms, according to the Higher Education Research Institute, whose findings echo ACT results released earlier this year. Both reports indicate a troubling lack of preparation for college courses.

HERI shows just 36 percent of faculty respondents think faculty on their campuses consider students well-prepared for college work. Forty-one percent say their own students lack the skills they need in the classroom. At the same time, 70 percent of the students surveyed rated themselves above average or in the highest 10 percent academically.

The triennial report, The American College Teacher: National Norms for the 2004-2005 HERI Faculty Survey, covers a plethora of other intriguing issues. For example:

• Faculty believe critical thinking and mastery of a discipline are the most important components of education.
• A "graying" professoriate shows 21 percent of surveyed faculty earned degrees before 1976; these "advanced career" professionals lecture more than younger profs, who use student-centered methods like cooperative learning, group projects, presentations, reflective writing and student evaluations.
• Faculty value public service—81 percent feel a responsibility to surrounding communities.
• Diversity is revered, with 90 percent favoring a racially and ethnically diverse student body. Faculty differ, however, on whether that diversity should appear in the curriculum or in admissions.
• Stress is an undeniable fact for faculty, who struggle with self-imposed expectations, managing households and lack of personal time. Women are more likely than men to report these stressors in the survey.
• The study also examines job satisfaction, career goals, technology and health (just one-third of the surveyed faculty say they get enough sleep).

HERI's survey was based on 40,670 full-time faculty respondents at two-year colleges, four-year colleges and universities nationwide. To learn more about the report, see www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/heri.html. [Virginia Myers Kelly]

October 28, 2005