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Campus: CSU Office of the Chancellor -- February 20, 2002
Faculty
Workload Report and Report
Appendix
CSU Faculty Workload Over Last Decade Studied
A comprehensive California State University faculty workload study released
today (February 20, 2002) shows that standard teaching measures (number
of classes, students and course preparations) have remained constant
over the last decade, and that student interaction remains an important
and positive part of the faculty agenda.
"CSU faculty members are hard-working, committed to their students,
engaged in a wide range of scholarly and creative activities, and energetic
in reaching into their communities," said David Spence, CSU executive
vice chancellor and chief academic officer. "In fact, an overwhelming
number of faculty members indicate they routinely use teaching strategies
that enhance individual student learning."
The study was conducted by the Social and Behavioral Research Institute
at CSU San Marcos under the direction of Richard T. Serpe. Chartered
by the CSU Academic Senate, the California Faculty Association, the
CSU provosts, and the CSU Chancellor's Office, the study follows up
on a similar one conducted in 1990.
It was designed to identify the ways in which the work of the 22,200
CSU faculty members has changed both quantitatively and qualitatively
during the past 12 years. The results are based upon a survey conducted
in spring 2001 that yielded responses from a scientific sample of 2,547
CSU faculty members at 22 campuses. Approximately two- thirds of the
respondents were tenured or tenure-track faculty, while the others were
lecturer faculty.
The survey shows that the tenured and tenure-track faculty members are
working in excess of 50 hours per week on CSU-related activities, which
is about two hours per week greater than in 1990. The amount of time
spent on teaching and student advising has remained constant over the
decade. The growth in overall time is largely explained by increases
in the time spent on scholarly and creative activities, and on program
development to meet the changing needs of an increasingly diverse student
population.
It is also apparent that CSU lecturers are involved in most of the activities
performed by the tenured and tenure-track faculty including engagement
with their students, and scholarly and creative activity. Indeed, the
instructional and scholarly workload elements of lecturers in this study
look much like those of the tenured and tenure-track faculty despite
lecturers having lower compensation and less job security.
The decade of the 1990s saw great change in California higher education
and a variety of new challenges for CSU faculty. A larger and more complex
student body, the incorporation of technology into teaching and learning,
and broad social and economic change challenged the faculty to increase
program development and outreach to the community. Simultaneously, declining
levels of state support have encouraged greater faculty involvement
in fund raising for new educational initiatives and research.
The vast expansion of the knowledge base and the infusion into the CSU
of younger faculty members have led to greater emphasis upon scholarship
and professional development. Throughout this evolution, the study shows
that the faculty has been remarkably dedicated and consistent in addressing
the needs of its students and in achieving the mission of the CSU.
This spring, the CSU will conduct a similar survey of tenured and tenure-track
faculty members at many U.S. universities that are comparable to CSU
campuses. A second study containing the results of this survey and allowing
a comparison of CSU faculty with national faculty will be available
in fall 2002.
PDF electronic versions are available of both
the complete current study, including text and data tables/charts,
and
the appendix containing the faculty surveys.
Contact: Gary Hammerstrom, 562-951-4718, ghammerstrom@calstate.edu Or
CSU Public Affairs Office, 562-951-4800.
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