Faculty Survey 2004-2005

Teaching Faculty Results

Activities

 

Though Earlham professors are very similar to all college faculty in most respects, they differ considerably from the norm in the percentage teaching an interdisciplinary course and teaching a first-year seminar. While 72.5 of Earlham professors have taught an interdisciplinary course, only 39.1% of faculty from all institutions have done the same. 60% of Earlham faculty taught a first-year seminar compared to 21.6% of faculty nationwide and 39% of the peer school respondents.  

 

General Activities

 

Earlham

All Institutions

Peer Group

 
%
%
%
During last two years, have you      
Taught an honors course
16.7
18.6
18.8
Taught an interdisciplinary course
72.5
39.1
57.9
Taught an ethnic studies course
29.4
9.9
14.7
Taught a women's studies course
24.2
6.9
16.4
Team-taught a course
44.7
36.3
40.7
Taught a service learning course
21.2
20.7
18.0
Worked with undergraduates on a research project
72.2
58.0
81.1
Placed or collected assignments on the internet
50.0
64.9
63.1
Taught a course exclusively on the internet
5.9
12.9
.8
Participated in a faculty development program
76.3
64.3
65.4
Advised student groups involved in service/volunteer work
35.3
41.8
31.6
Collaborated with the local community in research/teaching
34.3
42.3
33.1
Developed a new course
84.2
66.9
79.0
Conducted research or writing focused on

international/global issues

33.3
24.4
34.1

racial or ethnic issues

39.4
18.1
23.2

women and gender issues

25.0
17.4
26.3
Taught a first-year seminar
60.0
21.6
39.0
Taught courses at more than one institution during the same term
2.4
11.7
4.9
Requested/sought an early promotion
2.4
6.6
2.8
Engaged in paid consulting outside of your institution
35.7
36.3
30.0
Engaged in public service/professional consulting without pay
57.1
58.0
46.8
Received funding for work from Foundations
21.4
20.85
30.7
Received funding for work from state or fed govt
7.1
27.4
19.2
Received funding for work from business/industry
4.9
13.8
5.5
 
Have you ever...
held an academic administrative post
38.1
39.5
45.4
received an award for outstanding teaching
21.4
43.8
33.2

  The majority (55%) of Earlham teaching faculty respondents reported spending between 9 and 12 hours teaching each week. At our peer schools, a higher percentage of faculty (34.1%) reported spending 5-8 hours teaching compared to 22.5% at Earlham and 29.3% nationwide.

Hours per Week Spent on Scheduled Teaching

 

Earlham

All Institutions

Peer Group

 

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

 

None

4.3
0
2.5
.9
.5
.8
.4

1-4

0
11.8
5.0
7.7
7.0
7.4
4.6

5-8

26.1
17.6
22.5
30.7
27.0
29.3
34.1

9-12

52.2
58.8
55.0
32.7
32.9
32.8
45.4

13-16

4.3
5.9
5.0
14.6
17.7
15.8
10.8

17-20

13.0
5.9
10.0
7.4
8.6
7.9
2.7

21-34

0
0
0
5.3
5.4
5.3
1.7

35-44

0
0
0
.5
.6
.5
.2

45 or more

0
0
0
.1
.2
.2
.2

 

As can be expected, Earlham teachers spend more time preparing for teaching than they do actually instructing a class. 66.6% spend over 13 hours preparing for teaching.

Hours per Week Spent on Preparing for Teaching

 

 

Earlham

All Institutions

Peer Group

 

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

 

None

0
0
0
.6
.5
.5
.3

1-4

0
11.8
5.1
11.9
7.0
10.7
6.3

5-8

13.6
5.9
10.3
25.6
27.0
24.1
16.3

9-12

27.3
5.9
17.9
25.7
32.9
25.0
23.9

13-16

13.6
29.4
20.5
15.0
17.7
15.6
16.6

17-20

18.2
23.5
20.5
11.4
8.6
12.7
18.4

21-34

22.7
17.6
20.5
7.6
5.4
8.5
13.1

35-44

4.5
5.9
5.1
1.7
.6
2.0
3.5

45 or more

0
0
0
.5
.2
.8
1.5

 

Half of the Earlham teachers reported spending more than 5 hours a week counseling students.  Only 24.8% of the nationwide sample and 23.9% of the peer group faculty indicated that they spend that much time advising and counseling students.

 

Hours per Week Spent on Advising/Counseling of Students

 

Earlham

All Institutions

Peer

 

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

Group

None

0
5.9
2.5
5.6
5.5
5.6
2.7

1-4

65.2
41.2
55.0
64.4
58.7
62.1
59.2

5-8

34.8
41.2
37.5
22.8
25.5
23.8
30.3

9-12

0
11.8
5.0
5.2
7.1
6
6.1

13-16

0
0
0
1.2
2.0
1.5
1.4

17-20

0
0
0
.5
.7
.5
.2

21-34

0
0
0
.3
.4
.3
0

35-44

0
0
0
.2
.1
.1
0

45 or more

0
0
0
0
.1
0
.1

 

 

 

 

Approximately 98% of Earlham professors spend at least one hour a week on committee work and meetings, compared to 92.3% of professors at private colleges and 93.5% of all professors.  A much greater percentage (42.5%) of Earlham teachers reported spending 5-8 hours per week on committee work compared to 19.7% of the teaching faculty at our peer institutions.

Hours per Week Spent on Committee Work and Meetings

 

Earlham

All institutions

Peer

 

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

Group

None

4.3
0
2.5
7.2
8.3
7.6
6.6

1-4

47.8
47.1
47.5
65.0
65.3
67.5
69.4

5-8

39.1

47.1

42.5
18.6
20.4
19.3
19.7

9-12

4.3
5.9
5.0
3.6
4.1
3.8
3.2

13-16

0
0
0
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.0

17-20

0
0
0
.3
.4
.3
.1

21-34

4.3
0
2.5
.2
.2
.2
.1

35-44

0
0
0
0
.1
.1
0

45 or more

0
0
0
0
0
0
0

  Earlham professors are less likely than professors at other private colleges to spend no time at all in administrative work. Also, 56.4% of Earlham teaching faculty spend 1-4 hours on other administration compared to 45.6% of the peer group sample and the national sample.)  

 

 

Hours per Week Spent on Other Administration

 

Earlham

All Institutions

Peer

 

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

Group

None

18.2
17.6
17.3
37.7
38.1
35.2
35.2

1-4

59.1
52.9
56.4
40.6
40.3
45.6
45.6

5-8

18.2
11.8
15.4
10.9
11.2
10.2
10.2

9-12

4.5
5.9
5.1
4.9
4.8
5.4
5.4

13-16

0
5.9
2.6
2.3
2.1
2.0
2.0

17-20

0
5.9
2.6
1.8
1.7
.9
.9

21-34

0
0
0
1.3
1.2
.6
.6

35-44

0
0
0
.4
.4
.1
.1

45 or more

0
0
0
0
.1
.1
.1

 

Overall Earlham professors spend less time on research and scholarly writing than their counterparts at other institutions.  In fact 38.5% spend no time at all on research and/or scholarly writing compared to 13.8% of faculty at our peer institutions.

Hours per Week Spent on Research and Scholarly Writing

 

Earlham

All Institutions

Peer Group

 

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

 

None

39.1
37.5
38.5
22.0
32.8
26.3

13.8

1-4

17.4
50.0
30.8
29.7
33.7
31.3
40.9

5-8

21.7
0
12.8
18.3
15.7
17.3
23.2

9-12

17.4
6.3
12.8
11.7
8.1
10.3
11.7

13-16

4.3
0
2.6
6.8
4.1
5.7
5.4

17-20

0
6.3
2.6
5.4
3.2
4.5
3.3

21-34

0
0
0
4.3
1.6
3.2
1.1

35-44

0
0
0
1.3
.7
1.1
.5

45 or more

0
0
0
.6
.2
.4
.1

 

When asked about their professional writings, 87.2% of Earlham teaching faculty respondents had written at least one article for an academic or professional journal.  Of those, 15.4% of Earlham professors had published three or four articles, and 35.9% had produced between 5 and 20.  In terms of chapters in edited volumes, 54.3% had written at least one. More recently, 62.5% have published at least one writing in the last two years.

A higher percentage of Earlham faculty experienced joy in their work, felt good about the direction in which their life is headed and felt that their work adds meaning to their life to a great extent compared to faculty from the peer institutions and faculty nationwide.

Do you "to a great extent"...

 
Earlham
All Institutions
Peer Group
 
%
%
%
Engage in academic work that spans multiple disciplines
42.9
31.7
40.8
Feel that the training you received in graduate school prepared you well for your role as a faculty mentor
27.5
38.5
28.5
Experience joy in your work
88.1
68.2
68.7
Feel good about the direction in which your life is headed
76.2
64.8
62.7
Engage in self-reflection
69.0
68.0
66.6
Achieve a healthy balance between your personal life and your professional life
31.0
39.6
30.5
Feel that your work adds meaning to your life
88.1
70.0
72.7
Consider yourself a religious person
31.0
34.8
21.6
Consider yourself a spiritual person
52.4
47.9
33.3
Engage in regular exercise
38.1
39.4
43.9
Eat a well-balanced diet
45.2
43.0
51.8
Get adequate amounts of sleep
33.3
32.7
31.9
Engage in prayer/meditation
26.2
26.4
13.0
Experience close alignment between your work and your personal values
66.7
59.4
61.3
Seek opportunities to grow spiritually
33.3
31.8
18.7
Feel that you have to work harder than your colleagues to be perceived as a legitimate scholar
14.3
21.8
18.8

A higher percentage of Earlham teaching faculty teach remedial/developmental skills in reading, writing and general academics compared to faculty nationwide and faculty at our peer institutions. The difference is more predominant among Earlham female teaching faculty.

Do you teach remedial/developmental skills in any of the following areas?

 

% indicating YES

Earlham

All institutions

Peer

 

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

Group

Reading
8.7
21.1
14.3
2.0
4.8
3.1
2.5
Writing
13.0
36.8
23.8
5.4
9.3
7.0
11.1
Mathematics
4.3
0
2.4
4.5
4.8
4.6
2.1
ESL
0
5.3
2.4
.8
2.0
1.3
.6
General academic skills
13.0
21.1
16.7
3.2
4.8
3.8
4.7
Other subject areas
0
5.3
2.4
2.7
3.2
2.9
2.5

  The percentage of faculty using various teaching methods at Earlham and at our peer schools are similar in most cases. A slightly higher percentage of Earlham faculty use reflective writing, teaching assistants, and cooperative learning compared to our peer schools and a slightly lower percentage use essay mid-terms, extensive lecturing, and grading on a curve.

In how many of the courses that you teach do you use these teaching methods?

MEAN SCORES

1=None 2=Some 3=Most 4=All

Earlham
Peer Group
Class discussion
3.33
3.52
Community service as part of coursework
1.50
1.27
Cooperative learning (small groups)
3.08
2.74
Essay mid-term and/or final exams
2.60
2.92
Extensive lecturing
2.05
2.39
Grading on a curve
1.28
1.73
Group projects
2.38
2.30
Multiple-choice mid-term and/or final exams
1.28
1.33
Multiple drafts of written work
2.30
2.24
On-line instruction
1.45
1.37
Readings on racial and ethnic issues
2.23
1.93
Readings on women and gender issues
2.18
1.96
Recitals/Demonstrations
1.56
1.75
Reflective writing/journaling
2.10
1.68
Short-answer mid-term and/or final exams
2.03
2.23
Student evaluations of each others' work
1.98
1.80
Student evaluations of their own work
2.05
1.64
Student presentations
2.73
2.72
Student-selected topics for course content
1.85
1.75
Teaching assistants
1.83
1.43
Term/research papers
2.60
2.48

Click below to link to more responses from the faculty survey.

Teaching Faculty

 

 

Created by Mary Ann Weaver

March 21, 2006