All of us in the Office of Academic Affairs wish you all the blessings of this
holy season, and we hope you will experience a restful and refreshing break between semesters. Although we are of many religious faiths, I’m sure that the Christmas message of love and peace provides comfort and inspiration to all Villanovans.
Every year at this time we seem to say the same thing: it’s been a busy semester! Much has transpired, and we offer you just a few highlights. We recommend consulting the Senate’s December minutes where you’ll find Fr. Donohue’s annual “state of the University” message.
Previous issues of this newsletter can be found on the Academic Affairs home page and clicking on the newsletter site, found at the Academic Affairs site.
The Part-time and Continuing Studies Division is celebrating its ninetieth anniversary this year. Adult and non-credit education is the fastest growing sector of American higher education, and we are proud to be able to participate in and contribute to this cause. The Division’s Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree has taken hold and is growing, and the array of non-credit programs is expanding. Its online non-credit program had over 20,000 registrants last year. Our wonderful Theatre Department is celebrating its fiftieth birthday by offering several fascinating plays this year. Congratulations to both these important units.
OPIR has been busy, facilitating and producing several valuable surveys. The 2007 “First College Year Survey” showed considerable freshman satisfaction – higher than their peers at private universities nationally -- with their overall academic experience, access to the internet, academic assistance, class size, and contact with faculty members. Freshmen indicated significant intellectual growth in a number of areas. Of course, there were some disappointing results as well: 44 per cent said they’d fallen asleep in class; 81 per cent admitted to handing in work that they knew was not their best; and over half of the freshmen said they spent only ten or fewer hours studying and doing homework! Generally similar results were reported by freshmen in the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) study. Overall, the results of both freshman surveys were distinctly positive and encouraging, but as always there is more work to do.
The 2008 Parent Satisfaction Survey results (2600 surveys) were, as someone said, “off the charts.” Two-thirds of respondents were “very satisfied,” and another 25 per cent “satisfied” with their children’s development in terms of personal, ethical, and social values; and 61 and 31 per cent, respectively, were very or simply satisfied with their kids’ intellectual development. These are higher than in the 2003 or 1999 surveys.
Finally, the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) faculty survey of 2007-08 results are just in, yielding a favorable picture of the faculty situation at Villanova. Indeed, in almost all categories, the 263 respondents (44 per cent rate), provided more positive responses than in the previous (2004-05) survey. There was near-unanimous consensus that fellow faculty members were strongly interested in the academic problems of undergraduates. Over half reported having worked with undergraduates on a research project. Faculty use of technology was up, as was sensitivity to diversity issues. Satisfaction with salary and benefits, teaching load, quality of students, and opportunity for scholarly pursuits rose as well. Over two-thirds agreed or agreed somewhat that “senior academic leaders encourage faculty input and take it seriously” (up from 55 per cent in 2004), and 64 per cent were satisfied with faculty participation in University governance (versus 55 per cent previously). Three quarters thought that there was adequate support for faculty development. On the other hand, faculty reported considerable (but not greater than in 2004) stress from household responsibilities, personal finances, pressure to publish, and lack of personal time. Interestingly, when asked about Villanova’s Catholic and Augustinian identity, majorities said that it positively influenced their teaching and their sense of belonging, and a third said it positively influenced their research activities. Asked about the effects of laptop computers on student learning, the results were far more positive than negative. Ninety per cent said that if they were now setting out on a career, they would or probably would choose to be college professors. Finally, as political scientists, we cannot help but report that 59 per cent of respondents saw themselves as liberal or far left, while 19 per cent dubbed themselves conservative or far right.
Several new programs have been approved in the past year, testifying to energy and innovation across the colleges. Among the most recent initiatives are: a new Education minor in Educational Policy and Leadership; a minor in Real Estate; an Engineering Entrepreneurship minor; and a series of certificate programs in Theology. The Waterhouse Family Institute for Study of Communication and Society is up and running in the Department of Communication, which also has a new five-year bachelor’s-master’s program.
The 2003 academic strategic plan will be merged into the dynamic new University strategic plan. We are happy to report that as a result of the academic plan, well over nine million dollars were added to academic budgets in the last five years, over and above what otherwise would have been added, making possible higher salaries, the addition of 44 permanent faculty positions and 46 academic staff positions, and a variety of new programs to enhance our educational offerings and quality. Our recruitment capabilities and support of research and teaching were strengthened, and we were able to renovate a number of classrooms and upgrade technology. For details on what was accomplished, please take a look at the academic strategic plan “scorecard” that can be found on the Academic Affairs website at http://www.villanova.edu/vpaa/office/publications/startegicplan.htm.
We are close to being able to send out to the faculty for comments a draft copy of the revised Faculty Handbook. Thanks to the work of the members of the Faculty Congress, the Committee on Faculty, and the Academic Policy Committee, to faculty who provided suggestions and comments, and to the Office of General Counsel, we have made important changes.
Earlier this semester a call went out to faculty to comment on what we need to do to strengthen faculty scholarship. We have digested that input, and a committee has been reviewing the commentary. In a nutshell, as expected, the most frequently mentioned needs are time, time, time -- and lots of money for a variety of purposes. The challenge now is to figure out how to provide these resources, especially in the currently uncertain financial environment.
Keeping Up. Don’t forget to stay current with University events and notices. The minutes from the Senate and its many committees are posted on the web. You can find these minutes at
www.unisenate.villanova.edu.
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