The number of full-time faculty members is adequate to support the mission of the institution. The institution has adequate faculty resources to ensure the quality and integrity of its academic programs. In addition, upon application for candidacy, an applicant institution demonstrates that it meets the comprehensive standard for faculty qualifications.
( Faculty )
X Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative:
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (OCtech) employs a quantity of faculty members to adequately support the mission of the institution. In the fall of 2004, the College employed 109 faculty members, equating to an overall faculty/student ratio of 1:23. Based on research done by the College, 84% of curriculum courses are taught by full-time faculty. In order to benchmark, the SACS Leadership Team surveyed peer institutions in the South Carolina Technical College System and found that statewide the State Tech percentage of courses taught by full-time faculty was 61%.
OCtech’s full-time faculty members are highly qualified and strive to remain current within their teaching assignments. Of the 80 full-time faculty members, 7.5% have terminal degrees. The overall standard of two-year institutions is the master's degree. At a minimum, all faculty teaching transfer level courses and general education courses have master's degrees. Faculty members teaching in other academic programs have undergraduate degrees and carry appropriate certifications and/or work experience.
The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education’s Performance Funding Indicator (2A), entitled Academic and Other Credentials of Professors and Instructors for Technical Colleges, shows that for the past three years, the quality of OCtech faculty has met or exceeded the requirement ( 2002, 2003, and 2004).
Results from the Alumni/Graduate Exit Survey reported in 2002, 2003, and 2004 show that students are satisfied with instruction in their major, as well as instruction in general education courses.
Using the Faculty Teaching Load by Program (Summer, 2004; Fall, 2004; Spring 2005), academic programs can justify the hiring of new full-time faculty. The Dean of Administration, in cooperation with Academic Deans, submits to the Vice President for Academic Affairs a Justification Study for New Faculty (Sample Biology Instructor or Sample Psychology Instructor). Contained in this document is information regarding the number of existing faculty, the amount of workload placed upon them, and rationale for acquiring new full-time faculty members.
Because each full-time faculty member has a performance review using the OCtech Faculty Performance Management System (FPMS) on an annual basis, quality and integrity of its academic programs is maintained. A more thorough discussion of the College’s measures of faculty effectiveness can be found in the Compliance Report Narrative for Comprehensive Standard 3.7.2. Evidence of Support: |
