a Data include only responses from the College of Arts and Sciences since no classes in the professional schools are cross-listed as both graduate and undergraduate courses.

At this University, the practice of combining the instruction of graduate and undergraduate students is commonly referred to as "cross-listing" courses. No courses in the MBA program in the Cameron School of Business and no courses in the Master of Education curriculum in the School of Education are cross-listed. Within the College of Arts and Sciences, only the master's program in geology does not include cross-listed courses. Differentiation between graduate and undergraduate instruction in the other programs in Arts and Sciences is handled differently by the various departments. In Biological Sciences no more than 10 credit hours from graduate classes cross-listed as senior undergraduate courses may be applied toward the master's degree. Instructors are expected to distinguish between the undergraduate and graduate students in the cross-listed course with respect to assignments and expectations. In Mathematical Sciences, many graduate courses are also cross-listed as undergraduate offerings in order to enrich the educational opportunities of advanced undergraduates. Here the combined instruction of graduate and undergraduate students is controlled by the prerequisite structure of mathematics study, characterized by progressively increasing rigor in courses from calculus through advanced graduate work. In the Department of History, graduate students are permitted to take up to two cross-listed courses (6 hours credit). Again, graduate students enrolled in these courses are assigned additional projects designed to strengthen the research component of the course and are informed of the additional work in the Graduate Catalogue and in the department's graduate handbook. The Department of English requires instructors of cross-listed courses to stipulate in the syllabi their different expectations and different reading and writing assignments for the two types of students. Table 4.5 indicates that approximately two-thirds of both graduate students and graduate faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences agree that the combined instruction of graduate and undergraduate students is carefully controlled to assure appropriate attention to both groups. Less than 10% disagreed with this statement. (The results for this question were analyzed only for the College since there are no cross-listed courses in the professional schools.)

All the master's-degree programs at UNCW are the equivalent of more than one year of full-time graduate study. They each expect the students to acquire a thorough understanding of the subject matter, literature, theory, and methodology of the field of concentration. The comprehensive examinations required in all programs ensure mastery of the academic material. In the College of Arts and Sciences, the graduate programs require a thesis. Acceptable theses must contain a scholarly exposition of the current state of knowledge regarding the problem being addressed and an attempt, through original research, to advance this factual or theoretical knowledge base. Thus, students are provided with an understanding of research and the manner by which research is conducted not only in their courses but also through the mentoring of their thesis advisors and committees. The School of Education and the School of Business also ensure that graduate students in their non-research- professional master's programs gain an equivalent understanding of professional practices in their fields. Table 4.5 indicates general agreement from both students and faculty that an understanding of research is provided by the graduate curricula. The agreement is particularly strong when the College of Arts and Sciences is analyzed alone (students, 92%; faculty, 91%). Additional questions asked of the faculty indicate that campus-wide there is greater than 80% agreement that the graduate curricula provide an understanding of the theory and methodology of the various disciplines and integrate research and instruction.

Periodic evaluations of the graduate programs are undertaken by the respective departments and schools. For example, the program in the Department of History is to be formally evaluated every three years through its graduate committee, which will report its findings to the full department. Evaluations of the graduate programs in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Earth Sciences are conducted through the departmental graduate advisory committees. Other departments have similar mechanisms in place. Evaluations of the programs in the professional schools, including site visits by external reviewers, are conducted at regular intervals by the appropriate professional accrediting organizations.

Information gained from the follow-up of students is one method incorporated into the evaluation strategies in several departments or schools. In the Cameron School of Business, the fact that the graduate curriculum prepares students well to practice in and contribute to the profession is strongly confirmed by assessment surveys of graduates. In Biological Sciences, an indicator of the program's effectiveness can be seen in the fact that most graduates have succeeded in entering doctoral programs or obtaining employment in professional fields. (Many graduates who have been unsuccessful in seeking employment are unwilling to relocate.) The proposed graduate program in the Department of Psychology, now in the planning stage, will be evaluated, at least in part, by the success of its graduates in passing licensing examinations, being admitted to and succeeding in reputable doctoral programs, and performing well in psychology-related jobs.

In spite of the various evaluation methods mentioned, the Graduate Council and the Graduate School have recognized that there is, as yet, no formal program-by- system in place for evaluating the graduate curricula. Perhaps it is the lack of such a system that is at the root of the relatively low number of graduate faculty (59%) who agreed with- the statement that the graduate program in their area is regularly and systematically evaluated. Only in the School of Education was the agreement strong (73%). The Dean of the Graduate School has proposed to the Provost that such a regular and systematic evaluation of existing programs be started as soon as the necessary funding becomes available.

Recommendation: The Provost should approve a regular and systematic evaluation of all graduate programs as proposed by the Graduate School.

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UNCW graduate programs strive for an environment that encourages and supports scholarly interaction between faculty and students. Graduate- class size is usually small so that student-instructor interaction is maximized. Colloquia and seminars expose students to areas of active research and to topics which go beyond their courses. In graduate programs which require a thesis, there is extensive one-on- interaction between the thesis advisor and the student.

Only members of the Graduate Faculty teach graduate-level classes. The policy that graduate-faculty status must require evidence of current scholarly activity was implemented in 1991, although faculty have a grace period during which they can continue to teach graduate courses while working to meet their department's or school's scholarship criteria. In the Self-Study Surveys, graduate students strongly agreed that their graduate program encouraged scholarly interaction with the faculty (see Table 4.6). The faculty also indicated their agreement that graduate instruction emphasizes formal and informal interaction. Not only do the students think of the graduate faculty as competent, productive scholars (see Table 4.3), but they also overwhelmingly agreed that faculty are supportive and accessible. The faculty agreed that graduate students receive appropriate attention. Both students and faculty agreed that the objectives and criteria of graduate courses are clearly outlined and that the instruction is appropriate to meet those objectives. Because many of the graduate programs are only in their second year, follow-up surveys of graduates will provide further information about the effectiveness of their graduate experience. Most graduate faculty and students felt that the number of faculty involved in graduate education in their department or school is adequate.

Table 4.6 indicates that both graduate students and faculty agreed that courses offered in a non-traditional format, such as independent research, or courses concentrated into abbreviated time periods provide learning experiences comparable to those offered in more traditional formats and provide students with the opportunity and time to learn new concepts and methodologies. Courses taught in abbreviated time periods are either field-oriented work, which is only amenable to such a format, or summer school offerings, in which the syllabi indicate essentially identical content and assignments as in the same courses taught in a traditional format. Each department has its own evaluation program to ensure that these courses do provide the students with valuable learning experiences.

Each graduate department or school has an explicit procedure for assigning students to graduate advisors, appointing their committees, and monitoring their academic progress. As newer graduate programs mature, measures are being developed to ensure that the students receive appropriate guidance throughout their graduate career. Table 4.6 indicates that slightly fewer than two-thirds of the students responding to the survey were satisfied with the selection of their graduate advisor and committee and with the information they are receiving about their academic progress. When the responses are analyzed by college and school, however, it becomes clear that a significant percentage of graduate students in the School of Education (30%) and in the School of Business (27%) were dissatisfied with the process of selection of advisor and committee. Although reasons for the negative evaluation of this process cannot be ascertained from the survey, it may be due in part to situations where a student's first choice of a graduate advisor and committee were not available. The faculty was, in general, in stronger agreement on the corresponding questions, and there was no discrepancy between the faculty responses in the professional schools and in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Table 4.6

Responses of Graduate Students and Graduate Faculty to Self-Study Survey Questions about Graduate Instruction

Each department or school is responsible for regularly and systematically evaluating its own graduate instruction. Tire graduate faculty concurred that instruction is being evaluated and updated, with the strongest disagreement in the School of Business (59% agreed; 21% disagreed). One method of evaluation is a student survey. Students are asked to complete an evaluation questionnaire for each graduate class at the end of the semester. Results are tabulated and provided to the instructor and the department chair. Graduate students acknowledge their role in the evaluation process and, to some extent, agree that the University attempts to help faculty improve instruction (see Table 4.6). However, students are not satisfied that the University acts to correct instances of poor instructional performance. Although each department provides their faculty with counseling if evaluations warrant it, clearly other measures ought to be developed to ensure high quality graduate instruction.

Another concern which needs to be addressed by the University is that of "providing an environment which supports and encourages scholarly interaction and accessibility among the faculty and students." Although both faculty and students agree that graduate students receive appropriate attention from the faculty, a large proportion of the faculty are clearly frustrated. It is evident from the Self-Study Survey of Faculty that there is a general feeling that funding is not sufficient for instructional resources, research needs, or continued professional development. But perhaps more importantly, a large majority of faculty members feel that there is simply not enough time for scholarship and research, given their overall responsibilities. Although in some departments there is some released time for supervising graduate students, in others there is not. Faculty work loads need to be re-evaluated and perhaps adjusted so that quality graduate instruction and scholarship can be ensured. Supervising a student's research or thesis involves extensive one-on-one teaching.

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Subsequent to the initial preparation of this report, the Chancellor created the Division for Public Service. This division will assume many of the responsibilities previously handled by the Office of Special Programs (OSP). However, educational programs for academic credit that were previously handled by OSP are now the responsibility of the Division of Academic Affairs. The Division for Public Service is the administrative unit through which opportunities for lifelong learning and personal and professional development are offered as part of UNCW's public-service mission.

The mission of the Division for Public Service (DPS) is centered on service in that it designs and offers programs that meet the community's needs rather than expecting the community to adjust its needs to DPS programs. Programs are designed to address educational needs by extending the resources and benefits of UNCW to the community and by providing experts to address unique problems. In planning and implementing new programs, DPS goes through the following processes: a needs assessment; program planning; program design; marketing and promotion; registration; program implementation; and assessment of outcome. These processes are described in Appendix 4-C.

Programs and services are offered in the following major program categories: General Public; Youth; Professional Development; Continuing Education/Public Service; Conference Coordination; and Extension Courses. The programs and services that are offered are either CEU- (Continuing Education Unit) credit granting or non-credit activities (offered through DPS or else academic-credit- activities (offered through Academic Affairs). Extension courses are the only academic-credit-granting activities. Currently under study is expansion to "Weekend College" and life-long-learning programs that blend traditional and nontraditional programs.

A brief description of each program category follows.

General-Public Programs

General-public programs are presented to raise awareness of events that affect daily life or to contribute to personal enrichment. These non-academic activities include guest speakers, discussion groups, short courses, workshops, and seminars covering topics ranging from local problems to international affairs. During 1990, OSP (now DPS) offered 38 general adult programs that included art, photography, acting, Italian, French, historical architecture, lawn and shrub care, a six-part travelogue series, and wellness. It also sponsored a trip to Egypt.

Youth Programs

Youth courses are designed to offer enriching experiences to participants aged 7 to 18. Although these courses focus on marine-science-related subjects, they also cover topics such as improving study habits. During 1990, OSP's Summer Science Day Camp, Coast Trek, and Ocean lab programs reached maximum enrollments. In addition, OSP offered two sessions on improving S.A.T. scores and presented a new course on improving academic performance.

Professional Development Programs

A variety of non-credit short courses, conferences, and workshops are also specifically designed for businesses, industries, and professionals. University faculty and other qualified persons conduct programs in accounting, communications, management, planning, real estate appraisal, supervision, small business administration, and other similar topics.

DPS also assists school systems and community colleges with programs and courses for professional improvement of teachers. Courses are designed to meet certification and renewal requirements and/or provide general training for teachers and administrators. Topics covered in professional development courses offered in 1990 included computing, interpreting the Myers-Briggs Reading Test, outmaneuvering manipulators, business writing, and grant writing.

Continuing Education/Public Service Activities

This category of programs is divided into three major areas: (1) non-academic continuing-education activities; (2) non-academic non-CEU programs; and (3) community service programs.

Non-Academic Continuing Education Activities The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit system applies specifically to courses designed for non-academic credit. DPS coordinates special on-campus courses such as institutes in particular disciplines for teacher education. In such courses, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are awarded for purposes of teacher renewal credit. Participants receive CEUs at a rate of one unit for each 10 hours of class time. An attendance rate of 80% is required. Such CEU credits are kept in a permanent transcript system at DPS. DPS follows and adheres to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' 1990 edition of The Continuing Education Unit: Criteria and Guidelines. (DPS's CEU Activity Proposal Form can be found in Appendix 4-H.) During 1989-90, 41 CEU courses were offered. Four additional programs were in-service courses designed for school teachers, with renewal credit issued by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. All records of CEU participation are maintained by DPS.

Non-Academic Non-CEU Programs These programs were principally designed as workshops, seminars, and short courses. A wide variety of activities are offered, and participants are drawn from the business community and the general public. During the past year, 217 such courses were offered.

Community-Service Programs DPS also assists community groups with scheduling University academic facilities for meetings, seminars, and other programs. During 1989-90, a total of 1,059 community-service programs and/or facilities-use services were scheduled through OSP (now DPS).

Conference Coordination

Since UNCW is interested in assisting both the general public and various organizations, DPS provides conference coordination and services for groups whose missions coincide with those of the UNC system. Comprehensive services are provided to meet the needs of each group and can include meeting space, housing accommodations, food services, registration of participants, and marketing. Conferences of one day to several weeks can be accommodated for groups of .20 to 800 persons. Special emphasis is given to attracting non-profit groups with training/education purposes. During 1990, OSP (now DPS) coordinated athletic camps, teleconferences, and 30 conferences including the 12th annual North Carolina School for Alcohol and Drug Studies' intensive training school.

Educational Programs for Academic Credit

Undergraduate extension courses taught at Bladen, Brunswick, and Sampson Community Colleges or occasional graduate or undergraduate extension courses offered to special groups on a request basis are offered for academic credit through the Division of Academic Affairs. The community colleges recruit and enroll students who are high school graduates or the equivalent. These courses are sometimes taught by UNCW faculty and sometimes by other qualified faculty whose credentials have been reviewed and approved by UNCW. The syllabi and textbooks used in these courses are approved by UNCW to assure instruction comparable to that received on the UNCW campus. All undergraduate courses are automatically transferable to UNCW, providing a grade of C or better was achieved. Graduate courses are transferable only if the student has been admitted to the graduate program at UNCW. Students enrolled in the program who wish to become degree candidates at UNCW must apply and meet regular requirements for freshmen or transfer students, depending on the number of semester hours completed at the time of application.

DPS and the Division of Academic Affairs offer various credit and non-credit courses. Special care is taken to keep all credit and non-credit records separate. Different registration forms are used for each category. Participants in courses that offer academic credit must take them for credit. Also, separate evaluation forms are used to conduct in-house evaluations for both credit and non-credit courses as well as for the course instructors. A sample evaluation form can be found in Appendix 4-D.

A community college that chooses to offer an extension program through UNCW must comply with "the Guidelines and Requirements for the Establishing and Maintaining of the UNCW Contract Extension Program" (available as a supplementary document). For all existing community-college extension programs, the UNCW administration reviews compliance with these guidelines on an annual basis prior to renewing the contract. Adherence to these guidelines ensures the following:

1. Only students who have received a high school diploma or its equivalent are enrolled for academic credit in the extension program of UNCW. Conditions under which exceptions are made are clearly specified (see item 10 of "The University of North Carolina at Wilmington Extension Contract," available as a supplementary document).
2. Curriculum offered under provisions of the "Contract Extension Program" (CEP) is limited to the list of approved courses that are attached to the contract. These courses are current curricular offerings at UNCW that must be reviewed and approved annually as extension courses by the Division of Academic Affairs, the chair of the department, and the dean of the school or college, and by either the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (undergraduate courses) or the Director of Graduate Studies (graduate courses). (Course-review forms are included in Appendixes 4-E and -F.) To be approved courses must be comparable in content and quality of instruction to the corresponding courses offered on the main campus of UNCW and must use textbooks that have been approved by the appropriate chair. Extension instruction must be supported by adequate library holdings and by the necessary space, facilities, and equipment. In spite of the above safeguards, results of the Self-Study Surveys indicate disagreement with the statements that the quality of the courses (49% of faculty and 29% of students disagreed) and the adequacy of the resources (48% of faculty and 19% of students disagreed) are comparable at the UNCW campus and at the community colleges.

Recommendation:

The Division of Academic Affairs should develop additional means of assessing the quality of the Contract Extension Programs. Assessment measures should include comparisons of students who enroll at UNCW with and without Contract Extension Program courses.

3. The credentials of all faculty who teach extension courses are reviewed and approved by the appropriate UNCW department chair and dean, and by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (undergraduate courses) or Dean of Graduate Studies (graduate courses). (A copy of the approval form is in Appendix 4-G.) The qualifications of extension faculty are judged by the same criteria as are on-campus adjunct (part-time) faculty. Approved faculty may be members of the regular UNCW faculty, members of the regular community college faculty, and/or qualified part-time faculty recruited for the purpose of extension instruction. Evaluation of faculty employed in the Contract Extension Program (CEP) is required for each course taught and each community college must use the evaluation processes and instrument used by UNCW. The CEP requires that an annual summary of student evaluations for each instructor be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by June 15 of each year. In the Self-Study Surveys, 49% of the faculty and 37% of the students indicated that the quality of instructors in the UNCW classes taken at the community college was not comparable to that of the instructors of courses taken at the UNCW campus.

During academic year 1989-90, Bladen Community College offered 44 courses and Sampson Community College offered 48 courses under the UNCW Contract Extension Program.

In general, DPS has adequate physical resources, professional staff, and instructional support to accomplish its mission. Currently, the lack of on-campus physical facilities necessary to support DPS educational programs is the most serious problem the Division faces. DPS conducts approximately 30 to 35 day-long programs each year. Because the University has not designated a classroom facility to meet its needs, the Division must contract with local hotels not only for classroom space but also for food services. While DPS can reserve on-campus classrooms, its requests are considered only after regular UNCW credit classes are scheduled. This scheduling process poses two problems. First, it means that DPS is treated practically the same as any other external agency requesting space. Second, because DPS must wait for academic schedules to be printed before scheduling continuing education events, it cannot schedule events well in advance. In general, no DPS events can be scheduled on campus more than six months before the event date. DPS is, therefore, either limited to programs that require little lead time for marketing, or is forced to schedule events off campus. The necessity of using off-campus sites costs DPS an estimated $6,000 each year. An additional $8,000 to $10,000 is lost by on-campus food services. A short-term solution to these problems is for the University to designate one specific classroom exclusively for use by DPS. A long-term solution to the problem is for the University to allow DPS to establish a trust fund into which growth capital could accumulate for construction of a DPS building. Funding of this trust could come from donations and monies generated from University fundraising for capital improvements.

From the preceding, it can be concluded that DPS has minimal physical facilities necessary to accomplish its mission at this time.

As a self-supporting operating unit of the University, DPS expands and contracts according to the level of success it achieves in the marketplace during a particular year. If sufficient revenues are projected, additional positions are created; likewise, if insufficient revenues are projected, some positions have to be cut. The problem is obvious: adding and cutting staffing positions within a fiscal year results in rapid turnover. Allowing DPS to maintain a reserve account into which it could add or delete funds with an eye toward the long term would mitigate the sharp swings inherent in this process. Again, a trust fund could be established for this purpose and could be funded with excess operating profits on an annual basis (see the previous suggestion). Another problem concerns the type of programs being offered by DPS. The current budgeting process supports those programs that pay for themselves. For example, compensation of instructors is negotiated for each individual course, and registration fees for each course are determined primarily by the amount of faculty compensation and the projected enrollment. Because there is some subsidization (2-3% by the state legislature), DPS can offer a few programs that do not generate sufficient revenues to cover their projected expenses. However, such a system does not permit low-enrollment programs to be made available at affordable registration fees. Profits accumulation in the previously suggested operating trust fund could be used to subsidize low enrollment programs that are essential to some members of the community. In sum, professional staffing requirements are adequate at this time, but volatility in adding and deleting staff positions could be smoothed out. Additionally, faculty compensation should be reevaluated to make it more responsive to market demands. The benefit of such an approach could be increased instructional participation.

As the University has expanded, DPAS has found that faculty are willing to offer new programs in support of its mission. According to Division figures, in 1989-90, 43 UNCW faculty and 104 external instructors were involved in DPS programs. At this time, instructional support is adequate although improvements in compensation could encourage greater instruction participation and creativity. Instructors of DPS are paid an average of $45 per contact hour of instruction. This is comparable to part-time faculty pay of an average of $40 per hour. (This figure was based on a par-time faculty member being paid $1800 for 45 hours of teaching per semester.) Faculty at UNCW do not teach full-time in continuing education courses.

Since UNCW's 1980 SACS Self-Study, no new degree or certificate programs have been offered through DPS.

Evaluations are conducted for both credit and non-credit programs. Evaluation data for each course are tabulated and used by DPS (non-credit programs) and the Division of Academic Affairs (credit courses) in their planning process. Results of evaluations are also shared with each instructor.

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UNCW has an orderly process for recruiting and appointing its faculty. This process is described in the "Equal Employment Opportunity Program Affirmative Action Plan" and in "A Brief, Step-by-Step Guide for the EPA Faculty Hiring Process" (included as Appendix 4-I). Briefly, the process requires that after receiving authorization to hire from the dean, the department chair submits a position description to the Compliance Officer for review prior to advertising the position. To be approved by the dean, the applicant pool must reasonably reflect the availability of qualified minority-group members and women. A departmental committee reviews resumes of those in the approved applicant pool and selects the most qualified applicants for interview. Persons invited for interview meet with the members of the department and the academic dean and, when appropriate, with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Interviews of candidates usually take one to two days. Following this, the hiring department submits its recommendation to the academic dean and complete documentation of the selection process to the Compliance Officer. A summary of this plan is included in the Faculty Handbook (section VI, p. 1). Copies of the full text are on file in the Office of Compliance, the Personnel Office, Randall Library, and senior administrators' offices, and are available upon request.

Evidence of the appropriateness of the academic preparation of those faculty members whose highest earned degree is from a non-regionally-accredited institution is kept in personnel files. These files are located in the Office of Academic Affairs. The personnel files include official academic transcripts, academic and professional experience, and letters of recommendation.

Prior to the appointment of an applicant, the University determines the applicant's proficiency in oral communication in English by interviews with candidates as well as by public presentations and/or class presentations during on-campus interviews.

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The University does not offer associate degrees.

Not all full-time and part-time faculty teaching at the baccalaureate level in the areas specified in the Criteria for Accreditation (humanities and the fine arts, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, business administration, and education) have completed at least 18 graduate semester hours in their teaching field and hold a master's degree. In the area of humanities and the fine arts three faculty members do not meet these criteria (one in art, one in English, and one in French). In the area of social and behavioral sciences, four faculty members do not meet these criteria (one in sociology and three in speech communication). In the area of natural sciences and mathematics, two faculty members do not meet these criteria (one in geography and one in mathematics). The institution justifies exceptions on an individual basis and maintains records of qualifications which substitute for or supplement formal academic preparation in each of these cases. These records are kept in the deans' offices.

The University meets the SACS requirement that at least 40% of the course hours taught above the associate level in each of the areas specified in the Criteria are taught by faculty members holding a terminal degree, usually the earned doctorate, in their teaching field. In the humanities (including the fine arts) 57%, in the social and behavioral sciences 81%, in the natural sciences and mathematics 84%, in business administration 45%, and in education 72% of the credit hours taught on the baccalaureate level are taught by faculty members holding the earned doctorate in their teaching field.

At least 40% of the course credit hours taught in each discipline in which an undergraduate major is offered at UNCW are taught by faculty members holding the terminal degree in that discipline.

All faculty members in professional and technical fields (nursing, recreation, business, education, and the visual and performing arts) hold a degree at least at the level at which the faculty member is teaching. The University keeps on file documentation and records of work experience, certification and other qualifications which support the appointment of faculty members who have not completed 18 graduate semester hours in their teaching fields and hold a master's degree.

Each faculty member who teaches in a remedial program at UNCW holds the bachelor's degree and has classroom experience in a field related to their teaching assignment or graduate training in remedial education. The remedial course in composition, ENG 100, is taught by faculty in the English Department, all of whom have at least a master's degree in English and classroom experience teaching remedial English. The remedial course in mathematics, MAT 100, is taught by faculty in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and by teaching assistants who are graduate students in mathematics. These students have a bachelor's degree and limited classroom experience in teaching mathematics. The faculty teaching MAT 100 have at least a master's degree in mathematics and extensive experience teaching remedial mathematics.

The University offers no baccalaureate degree programs at off-campus locations.

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UNCW offers the following master's degrees: Biology/Marine Biology - MS, Business -MBA, Chemistry - MS, Education - MED, English - MA, Geology - MS, History - MA, Master of Arts in Teaching - MAT, Mathematics - MS/MA. UNCW cooperates with North Carolina State University in a joint program leading to a PhD in marine science.

To teach graduate courses or to supervise graduate students, one must be a member of the Graduate Faculty. The criteria for admission to the Graduate Faculty are listed in the "Bylaws of the Graduate Faculty of UNCW" and ensure a high level of faculty competence. They include an earned terminal degree in an appropriate discipline, demonstrated effectiveness in teaching, and a continuing record of productive scholarship. Specific criteria have been developed by each department. These include refereed original research or review publications, presentations at professional meetings, and in some departments, efforts to secure outside funding.

All faculty teaching in the cooperative PhD program in marine sciences must have their credentials approved by the Dean of the Graduate School at North Carolina State University. Since new PhDs will be attracted to campuses where research is encouraged and rewarded and where they have access to a strong graduate program for their students, appropriate measures, not currently in place, will be needed to recruit and retain a qualified faculty. Graduate departments indicate a need for increased funding for the following resources which would enhance the ability of the institution to attract and retain qualified faculty: work-load credit for directing the research of graduate students; research designated as part of the faculty work load, graduate teaching and research assistantships, computing equipment, faculty travel money, library serials holdings, and honoraria for visiting speakers.

All faculty presently teaching graduate-level courses at UNCW hold the terminal degree in their disciplines. However, provisions are in place for exceptions to this requirement to allow for cases in which experience and/or scholarly or creative activities may substitute for the doctorate. Such exceptions will be adequately documented as they occur. Faculty responsible for the direction of doctoral research through the cooperative program with North Carolina State University are experienced in directing independent study.

Faculty engaged in graduate teaching are committed to the academic community and to UNCW, as well as to their students and their academic disciplines, and they demonstrate this commitment by their involvement in the planning and supervision of graduate programs, by their supervision of graduate student research, and by their participation on thesis committees. All graduate programs at UNCW meet or exceed the criterion of having four full-time members in the subject field, and proposals for future degrees will not be approved unless this criterion is satisfied.

Under the "Bylaws of the Graduate Faculty of UNCW," a Graduate Council, comprised of representatives of the Graduate Faculty, has been established to review, develop, and make recommendations concerning policy for the Graduate School and graduate education at UNCW. The Graduate Council reviews and acts on departmental criteria for membership on the Graduate Faculty. Individual applications for membership are reviewed by the applicant's department and the Graduate Council, with final action taken by the Dean of the Graduate School. The Bylaws of the Graduate Faculty include a list of admission criteria for a five-year membership on the Graduate Faculty. In addition, each department has developed and had approved by the Graduate Council a set of criteria specific to that discipline for membership on the Graduate Faculty. All criteria are clearly defined and published and are on file at the Graduate School office. Each department's criteria are on file in that departmental office as well. The University offers no graduate degree programs at off-campus locations.

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While the Self-Study Survey of Faculty reveals that more than half of UNCW faculty (53%) felt inadequately compensated and that inadequate salary and raises /promotions were seen as the most important reasons for faculty leaving UNCW, data from the 1989 Salary Survey conducted by the College and University Personnel Association and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities indicate that UNCW offers salaries above the norm for non-collective- institutions. This comparison is evident at all faculty ranks. . Moreover, according to "The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 1990-91" (Academe, March-April 1991: 9-91), salaries at UNCW for each of the three tenure-track ranks (assistant professor, associate professor, professor) lie between the 60th percentile and the 65th percentile when compared with salaries of the same ranks at all other comprehensive universities in the United States. A comparison of salaries at UNCW with those of other institutions in the state and in nearby states (see Table 4.7) shows that salaries at UNCW are barely competitive at the assistant professor, associate professor, and professor ranks. While average salaries for UNCW tenure-track faculty are close to regional averages, the average for all ranks combined is lower at UNCW, probably because of the large number of lecturers at UNCW. In 1990-91, the University employed 133 lecturers, 119 assistant professors, 103 associate professors, and 101 professors. Over a quarter of the faculty are thus in non-tenure-track positions, with one-semester or one-year appointments. The absence of even the prospect of tenure, the unavailability of resources for research and scholarship, and the comparatively low pay for lecturers might hinder the commitment of these faculty to long-term efforts in scholarship, research, and service. The University must maintain a strong commitment to tenure and to hiring tenure track faculty to fulfill its missions in scholarship, research, and service.

Table 4.7

Average Faculty Salaries by Rank (in thousands of dollars) for Selected Comprehensive Universities in
North Carolina and Neighboring States

(Academe, March-April 1991: 9-91)

Some departments in the College of Arts and Sciences appear to be below national norms for their respective disciplines, and this has implications for faculty morale in those departments. Relative to the number of faculty positions available nationally, there is an oversupply of prospective faculty members in some disciplines, thereby tending to suppress salaries in these areas. The rather large number of hires at entry-level positions in recent years may explain why average salaries are lower here than elsewhere in those disciplines and overall. With the exception of the School of Education, faculty do not generally perceive their departments as competitive in terms of salary for new faculty. A majority of respondents to the Self Study Survey of Faculty rated their departments' ability to compete for new faculty as "not competitive" on the basis of salary (47%), teaching load (52%), and professional development opportunities (70%). On the other hand, a majority of respondents rated their departments "competitive" on the basis of perceived faculty morale (55%) and on the basis of geographical location (87%). A plurality of respondents thought their departments "competitive" on the basis of benefits (35%) and of educational-support services (42%). While UNCW does not have a written policy on institutional faculty-salary review, the Chancellor, following consultation with the Provost and the deans, approves the cost-of-living and merit increases as available from actions of the legislature and from the Board of Governors and the General Administration of the UNC system. Department chairs review salaries of their faculty annually and recommend salary increases for individual faculty based on the annual review of faculty performance. There appear to be varying procedures and criteria for arriving at recommendations for merit salary increases. Salary adjustments due to inequities are recommended by chairs, as appropriate. Salary increments for promotion in rank are fixed. Information about faculty salaries and raises is distributed annually to all faculty by the Provost (see Appendix 4-J).

The benefits offered to faculty are comparable to those offered by .other institutions. Faculty responses to the Self-Study Survey indicate some dissatisfaction with the dental plan (45%), the legal insurance plan (19%), the medical plan (23%), the life insurance plan (17%), and the retirement plan (14%). UNCW provides a choice of two retirement plans, TIAA/CREF, to which it contributes 6.24%, and the State Retirement System, to which it contributes 9.57% (this includes an additional 2.17% that is contributed by the University to the State Retirement System on behalf of TIAA/CREF participants). The University provides for its employees' health insurance through the North Carolina Teachers and State Employees Comprehensive Major Medical Plan or through an HMO option, a disability-income plan, retirement health insurance, professional-liability insurance, and University-paid life insurance. Faculty have the opportunity to enroll in a variety of optional benefit programs.

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The University's policies assuring freedom in teaching, research, and publication are clearly stated in Appendixes A and B of the Faculty Handbook, as well as in the University's Mission Statement. The Faculty Handbook is distributed to all new faculty within the first two weeks of their arrival on campus. The results of the Faculty Self-Study Survey showed that a large majority of the respondents (74%) felt that the University supports academic freedom. The University does provide either contracts or "salary letters" to the faculty. Lecturers, who are on oneyear or one-semester appointments, receive contracts. Tenured faculty, for the most part, receive "salary letters" rather than contracts, stating their salary for that academic year. Only on their initial appointment, on reappointment, and on confirmation of tenure do faculty receive contracts. According to the Office of Academic Affairs, this procedure was adopted to simplify the contractual process. The University's policies regarding employment are clearly stated in part VI and Appendix A of the Faculty Handbook. The University's policies on promotion, tenure, and reappointment are explicitly stated in Appendixes B and C of the Faculty Handbook. Nevertheless the Self-Study Survey of Faculty indicated that only 40% of the respondents agreed that the University's expectations for tenure and promotion are clear (with 60% agreeing that their departments' expectations are clear). The principal concern seems to be that although no definite weights are assigned to teaching, research, scholarship and professional development, and service, weightings are used in practice. The intent of the University's "Criteria for Reappointment, Promotion, and Award of Tenure" (Appendix C, part I, of the Faculty Handbook) was to recognize differences in the abilities of faculty by "fostering and rewarding individual strengths and competencies among faculty." It further asserts that "fixed weightings to be used in determining the relative importance of these different areas (teaching, scholarship and professional development, research, and service) should be avoided". Although the Faculty Handbook (Appendix C, part II, section A) states that "teaching effectiveness is the primary criterion for reappointment, promotion and tenure," in practice research seems to many to be the pivotal criterion, especially for promotion. However, given their teaching and other duties, 61% of the respondents to the Faculty Self-Study Survey said they did not have adequate time for research. Some faculty thus perceive an incongruity between University pronouncements and its actions in promotion and tenure matters. Termination and non-renewal procedures do contain adequate safeguards for protection of academic freedom as set forth in Appendix B of the Faculty Handbook.

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The University provides faculty members limited opportunities (which they must avail themselves of at their own initiative) for professional growth and development throughout their careers. Examples of professional growth and development opportunities at UNCW include, but are not limited to, seminars and workshops to enhance teaching effectiveness; in-service training (in library, computer, and word-processing skills); support for attendance at professional meetings, seminars, and workshops; collaboration with peers; active graduate programs; reassignment of the work load to provide time for research; and unpaid leaves of absence. Sabbaticals with pay are not granted by the University. The University also provides limited funding to faculty for research and development through the Faculty Research and Development Fund. During the five semesters from Spring 1989 through Spring 1991, 100 proposals totalling $132,500 were received from faculty members. Fifty-eight projects were funded, totalling $66,900, with most awards in the $800 to $1000 range. In the summer of 1991, the College of Arts and Sciences awarded 26 "Summer Teaching and Research Initiatives," each for $2250, to faculty for research or teaching development. Faculty are rewarded for excellence in teaching and less so for excellence in research. The UNCW Board of Trustees has established a Teaching Excellence Award and a Research Excellence Award. One of each of these is awarded each year. To emphasize the importance of teaching, the Chancellor has established five additional teaching awards, three in the College of Arts and Sciences and two to be shared among the three schools, that are to be awarded annually. To determine whether faculty development is occurring, the deans request annual reports from all departments. These reports include information about numbers of books in print, refereed articles published, papers presented at professional conferences, external grants and contracts received, professional journal and manuscript review, and grant-proposal review. These reports indicate that the productivity of faculty has been increasing both in number and in quality.

Although the University encourages professional growth and development, there is a consensus among the faculty in the School of Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences that professional growth and development are hindered because (1) there is no uniform policy that clearly addresses the role of adjustments in teaching loads to foster research; (2) there is not enough financial support for each faculty member to attend at least one professional meeting each year; (3) there is scant in-house financial support for the acquisition of research equipment, especially start-up money for new faculty; and (4) paid sabbaticals are not permitted. These perceptions are shared, in less pronounced form, by the faculty in the Schools of Business and Education; however, these limitations are not perceived by administrators or faculty who teach less than seven contact hours per year. Overall, faculty at UNCW do not think they have adequate time for scholarship and research. Given the crucial role that scholarship and research play in invigorating teaching, in the professional growth and development of the faculty, and in their professional advancement, many faculty find the lack of adequate time and support for scholarship and research frustrating.

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As stated in the Faculty Handbook (Appendix E, "Faculty Governance Document," article 1, sections 4 and 5), primary responsibility for the improvement of the educational program resides with the faculty. A majority (64%) of the respondents to the Self-Study Survey of Faculty felt that the faculty was allowed to exercise this responsibility. The extent of the participation and jurisdiction of the faculty in academic affairs is set forth and published in the University Mission Statement and in the Faculty Handbook. The role and duties of the Faculty Senate and its various committees are stated in Appendix F of the Faculty Handbook. The four types of committees on which faculty members serve are described in section V of the Faculty Senate Bylaws and Standing Rules (see Faculty Handbook, Appendix F). For the year 1991-92, the number of committees of each type and the total numbers of faculty serving on them are: standing committees of the Faculty Senate (16 committees, 119 faculty); ad hoc committees of the Faculty Senate (5, 45); autonomous faculty committees (3, 24); and Chancellor's committees (14, 65). These 253 faculty members are drawn from the University's 379 full-time faculty. Members of the administration serve on many of these committees, often as ex-officio members; part-time faculty do not serve on them. Faculty also serve on a wide variety of departmental committees and search committees. The Faculty Self-Study Survey showed that 92% of the respondents were aware of the Faculty Senate, 76% thought it sufficient for self-governance, and 63% thought it effective in self-governance. Though 63% is a definite majority, it is not an overwhelming one. One reason for this less than unanimous view of the Senate's effectiveness may be the length of time it sometimes takes to get things done. Also, the Senate's recommendations have sometimes been ignored or vetoed by the Chancellor.

Suggestion: To facilitate communication with and participation by the faculty in University governance, the Chancellor should appoint the President of the Faculty to the Chancellor's Cabinet.

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The University seeks to provide a faculty of adequate size to support its mission. However, during the 1991-92 academic year, because of higher-than- enrollments, the student/faculty ratio has increased to 18.0-to-1 and is substantially higher than the ratio of 16.4-to-1 for which UNCW is funded by the state legislature. This increase in the student/faculty ratio threatens the quality of the instructional program, especially in those courses where small classes are necessary to provide for students a learning environment in which creative achievement is encouraged. For example, in the freshman composition courses English 101 and 102, enrollment limits have been raised from 25 to 30 - well above the maximum enrollments considered educationally sound by the professional organizations - and in other disciplines, the attempt to integrate writing into the curriculum has likewise been stymied by increased class sizes.

Through the assignment of duties by department chairs, the University seeks to maintain equitable and reasonable assignments of faculty responsibilities including, but not limited to, classroom instruction, academic advising, committee membership, guidance of student organizations, research, and public service - such that the quality and quantity of faculty productivity is not sacrificed. As revealed by the Self-Study Faculty Survey, however, there is no consensus among faculty that their responsibilities are equitably and reasonably assigned, save teaching responsibilities, which are easily quantified. The majority of University administrators and faculty who teach fewer than seven contact hours per year, on the other hand, think that faculty responsibilities are equitably assigned, including such responsibilities as academic advising, guidance of student organizations, public service, and research, which are extremely difficult to quantify. University administrators and faculty who teach fewer than seven contact hours per year also think that faculty productivity has not been compromised under the current methods of assigning responsibilities. There are no formal policies to protect faculty members from assuming or being assigned internal responsibilities which might encroach upon the work they are employed to perform for the institution. A policy is in place to protect faculty members from assuming external responsibilities which might encroach on their work (see Policy on External Professional Activities in section VI.B.I of the Faculty Handbook).

According to the Faculty Handbook (section IV. A.I), "Full-time faculty members are assigned teaching responsibilities on the basis of 12 hours as the normal load." Reductions in teaching load are standard for some administrative assignments and for grants that pay a portion of the faculty member's salary. Reductions are given to some faculty in some departments for a variety of activities. However, there are no formal policies that list the activities for which reductions may be given, and there are no written criteria for receiving reductions. And, although many faculty indicated that their chairs take into account the number of preparations (73%), the number of students taught (65%), the nature of the subject (62%), and the help available from secretaries and teaching assistants (47%), there are no formal policies for taking these factors into account in the calculation of workloads.

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Faculty at UNCW are evaluated annually by their departments in the areas of teaching, scholarship and professional development, research, service, and academic advising. Though the University guidelines, as stated in the Faculty Handbook, do not assign weights to these areas, individual departments may do so in determining salary increases. Procedures used to determine faculty performance in these areas vary widely across departments and may include data from student evaluations of teaching performance, self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and evaluation by the department chair. In most departments, faculty are requested to include in their review materials syllabi, course tests and examinations, statements about new courses developed, reprints of publications, and reviews of performances. Some departments include the senior faculty and/or peers in the review of faculty performance; others rely mainly on the chair's review. Evaluation criteria are those stated in the Faculty Handbook (see Appendix C, part II, section A). The Faculty Handbook is distributed to all new faculty within two weeks of the beginning of their first semester. Sixty percent of the faculty felt that department expectations for promotion and tenure are clear, but only 40% felt that the University's expectations are clear. Departments vary in the use of the results of the evaluation process; improving faculty performance and providing bases for salary increases are the two primary purposes of evaluation. Department chairs are strongly encouraged to meet with each of their faculty for the purpose of discussing the chairs' evaluation and of identifying ways in which faculty members may improve their performance. Such meetings also provide the opportunity for a rebuttal statement by faculty who disagree with the evaluation. Surveys of undergraduate students indicate general satisfaction with the quality of instruction received, and to a lesser extent, with the ways in which the University acts to help improve faculty teaching. Generally, faculty are seen as good teachers and truly interested in teaching. However, graduate students generally do not feel that the University acts to correct instances of poor instructional performance.

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During 1990-91 the percentages of credit hours that were taught by part-time faculty were approximately 9% in the College of Arts and Sciences, 4% in the School of Business, 14% in the School of Education, and 0% in the School of Nursing. Of the University's 403 teaching faculty in spring of 1991, 61 were part-time (15%). Many units say that part-time faculty are employed only when full-time faculty are unavailable (for example, because of unexpectedly large enrollments or reassignment of duties) or for specific expertise (for example, lab instruction or instruction on a specific musical instrument). The number of part-time faculty is determined by requests from departments and by the amount of salary money available. In the College of Arts and Sciences all but three part-time faculty have master's degrees and eighteen graduate hours in the disciplines they are teaching.

There are no University-level written policies governing the employment of part-time faculty, and there is no Faculty Handbook for part-time faculty. In fact, the Faculty Governance Document (Faculty Handbook, Appendix E) begins by defining faculty as full-time employees. However, the contracts of part-time faculty do specify the term of employment (one semester), the salary and when it is paid, the person who assigns the individual's duties, and employment policies applicable to all faculty. Among respondents to the Self-Study Faculty Survey, part-time faculty, to a greater extent than their full-time colleagues, felt that too few computers are conveniently available for use by them and their students. Regarding other types of instructional support, the answers of full-time and part-time faculty were similar.

Part-time faculty are hired by the department chair with or without faculty input, depending on the department. Orientation, supervision, and evaluation of part-time faculty are carried out by the various academic departments, usually the department chair. One department is considering a mentoring program as an orientation mechanism for part-time faculty. Most departments use the same instruments and procedures for evaluating both full-time and part-time faculty. As policy, departments require that part-time faculty provide office hours similar to those of full-time faculty. In some cases, however, part-time faculty have no office or conference space to meet with students.

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The employment of graduate teaching assistants is carefully monitored. The Provost, in consultation with the Dean of the Graduate School, determines how many graduate teaching assistantships will be available in a given year. The Dean allocates assistantships to those departments who have requested them. The departments then recommend recipients of assistantships to the Graduate School, which submits them to the Provost for final approval. Among the four departments reporting the number of their graduate assistants, the average number per department was 7.5. There is no published set of institution-wide guidelines for the administration of graduate assistantships. The manner of supervision and evaluation of graduate assistants is left to the departments.

Contracts specifying salary and conditions of employment are prepared and administered by the Graduate School. Teaching assistants are paid from the same teaching funds as are faculty members, both full-time and part-time, tenure track and non-tenure track.

No graduate teaching assistant teaches more than six hours of classes each semester. Most do not have full responsibilities for a class but supervise laboratories, tutor students, and support faculty members by grading papers, organizing review sessions, and performing clerical duties. Only assistants who have completed 18 graduate semester hours in their teaching field may teach classes that are offered for credit. Those who do are closely supervised and evaluated by a faculty member with whom they have regular contact. At least some are also evaluated by students. Some departments offer to their graduate assistants training in teaching: the Department of English offers workshops on teaching composition, and the Department of Biology offers a practium in teaching (BIO 594) that is recommended for all new graduate teaching assistants in the department. The departments presently determine whether a graduate assistant for whom English is a second language is sufficiently proficient in spoken English. The Dean of the Graduate School has recommended to the Provost a training program for such graduate assistants; it is currently under study.

The Deans of the Graduate School and of the College of Arts and Sciences assume responsibility for administrative oversight to assure conformity with institutional policies and procedures.

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UNCW has no consortia relationships with other institutions from which UNCW grants a degree.

Contractual relationships with other institutions are administered by the Office of Academic Affairs and by the School of Nursing. These arrangements have provisions for the maintenance of standards of quality and are regularly evaluated.

The School of Nursing contracts with various health agencies to allow UNCW students to perform clinical work (see Appendix 4-K). The "Interagency Contract" (see Appendix 4-L) requires that yearly evaluation of the agreement occur, that each party adhere to the accreditation standards necessary for the University or agency, and that the nursing faculty of the University be the primary persons responsible for the teaching and guidance of nursing students at all times while the students are assigned in the agency. The work-experience guidelines and the procedures for evaluation are determined solely by UNCW nursing faculty as part of the regular curriculum and therefore conform to SACS criteria in the same way, as do other courses in the School of Nursing.

The Division of Academic Affairs administers extension courses with Brunswick Community College, Sampson Community College, and Bladen Community College. These courses are referred to as Contract Extension Programs or CEPs. In the 1989-90 academic year, 174 courses at community colleges were offered with total registrations of 3,388. Five graduate and eight undergraduate courses for extension credit were also offered at various locations.

Contract Extension Programs are consistent with the purpose, policies, and procedures of UNCW. The purpose of CEPS is to provide residents in various areas of southeastern North Carolina an opportunity to enroll in freshman- and sophomore-level university courses in their immediate environs. CEPs provide an economical educational transfer option for community college students. Since part of the mission of UNCW is to be a regional university this program is an important means of extending the educational resources of UNCW.

Compliance of Contract Extension Programs with SACS criteria has been described in the section that begins on page 198.

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Recommendations

1. The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the faculty, should develop mechanisms and assessment procedures for ensuring that students acquire competency in reading, writing, oral communication, and fundamental mathematical skills.
2. As future graduate programs are initiated or as existing programs are substantially expanded, the departments involved should indicate in writing the expected cost to the University. The planning committee should then ensure in writing that the additional funds will be available and from what source. If this exercise indicates that a dilution of existing resources will result, the proposed expansions should be postponed.
3. The Graduate School should survey departments with graduate programs to determine which new subscriptions are required and then work with the Library over the next three to four years to obtain public and private funding to procure them.
4. The Office of Computing and Information Systems should work with the administration toward the goal of having VAX lines and terminals available to all graduate faculty (and through them to the students under their direction) within the next three years.
5. All departments or schools that have not already done so. should develop a graduate-student handbook and make it available to the students by the beginning of the Fall 1992 semester.
6. The Provost should approve a regular and systematic evaluation of all graduate programs as proposed by the Graduate School.
7. A University-wide faculty workload policy (see the suggestion on page 151) should make provisions for thesis and research advising.
8. The Division of Academic Affairs should develop additional means of assessing the quality of the Contract Extension Programs. Assessment measures should include comparisons of students who enroll at UNCW with and without Contract Extension Program courses.
9. The Chancellor should ensure that the University's highest priority in its upcoming Capital Campaign, as well as in its yearly budget requests, be the continued vitality of its faculty. Funds should be sought to procure or expand the resources that are essential to a vigorously productive faculty of an ambitiously developing comprehensive university, such as the following: graduate teaching and research assistantships; computing equipment; laboratory equipment; faculty travel; library holdings, especially serials; visiting speakers and seminars; start-up money for new faculty; and faculty research assignments.
10. The Faculty Senate should appoint a committee to review reappointment, promotion, and tenure policies. This committee should consider, among other things, whether and how policies should be made more explicit, and how policies and practices might be better aligned. It should submit a progress report to the Faculty Senate before the end of Fall Semester, 1992.
11. The deans, in cooperation with the Provost and the department chairs, should ensure that faculty members are provided the opportunity to continue their professional development by, for example, adjusting faculty workload to foster scholarship and research while maintaining the University's commitment to teaching excellence. The deans should present a progress report to the Faculty Senate before the end of Fall Semester, 1992.
12. To support its instructional program by maintaining a faculty of adequate size, the Chancellor should ensure that the number of faculty positions is increased sufficiently to support increases in enrollment and that enrollments do not exceed the student/faculty funding ratio that is set by the state legislature for the UNC system universities.
13. The deans should appoint a Faculty Workload Committee to develop a comprehensive measure or indicator of faculty workload (including the workload for chairs), that would assist in achieving equitable assignments of faculty responsibilities and would aid in evaluation of the performance of faculty. The format of this measure or indicator should be determined by the committee, but it should take into account at least the following:
1. teaching: for example, contact hours, number of preparations, enrollments, level of the course(s) being taught, academic advising, honors and DIS students, graduate theses supervised, curricular initiatives, and advising student organizations;
2. scholarship and professional development: for example, participation in professional meetings, short courses, research, seminars, and workshops; research: for example publications, off-campus presentations, grants, and projects in progress; and
3. d)service: for example, administrative responsibilities, committee work at department and University levels, and off-campus professional service. This committee should submit a progress report to the Faculty Senate by the end of the Fall Semester 1992.
14. The deans should appoint a faculty committee (that would include chairs) to study ways of refocusing the evaluation process on improving faculty performance. That process should include not only the identification of deficiencies but also means of removing them, such as workshop attendance, mentoring, and a center for teaching and learning.
15. The Provost should pursue consultations leading to written policies concerning the employment of part-time faculty members, addressing at least the following items:
1. the allocation of monies for teaching salaries between full-time and part-time positions;
2. the right of part-time faculty to receive sufficient instructional support;
3. the right of part-time faculty members to participate in faculty affairs; and
4. the provision of office (or conference) space, mailboxes, and telephones to allow adequate student access to part-time faculty.
16. The Dean of the Graduate School should develop, secure approval for, and publish a set of institution-wide guidelines for graduate-assistantship administration. These guidelines must include appointment and reappointment criteria, remuneration, rights and responsibilities, and evaluation procedures.

Suggestions

1. The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs should ensure that the UNCW Undergraduate Catalogue includes a notation on admissions criteria for those departments that have established their own criteria. Such a notation should direct students to those departments or to General College Advising for inquiries on details about departmental admission requirements.
2. Where it is not being done, the department chairs, in consultation with their faculty, should develop a variety of methods for the evaluation of instruction in addition to student evaluations and that they identify criteria by which the instructional performance of faculty is judged.
3. The University, through its Planning Committee, should address, as one of its top priorities, the finding of a solution to the severe space and equipment problems.
4. In order for the Graduate Council to more easily assume an advisory role for the Graduate School itself, the Dean of the Graduate School should no longer serve as chair of the Graduate Council, and the members of the Graduate Council should be elected by the Graduate Faculty.
5. Before the printing of the next edition of the Graduate Catalogue, the Graduate School should institute and publish a general procedure by which applicants could specifically request exceptions to the minimum admission standards (in programs which allow it).
6. The Graduate School should include in the next printing of the Graduate Catalogue a complete and detailed listing of all department-specific admission requirements.
7. Within the next academic year the Graduate Council and the Graduate School should develop a policy of regularly assessing the instructional ability of the graduate faculty to determine their continued eligibility on the Graduate Faculty.
8. The Division for Public Service should explore the development of a non-credit Weekend College to enhance existing life-long-learning programs.
9. The quality of courses and of instructors and the adequacy of resources for UNCW courses taken at community colleges should be more closely monitored by the Division of Academic Affairs, and this monitoring should be undertaken immediately.
10. The UNCW faculty should be more involved in the approval and evaluation of Contract Extension Program courses and faculty. This could be accomplished by establishing departmental committees that would be responsible for reviewing course materials and instructors' credentials.
11. One specific classroom should be designated for use by the Division for Public Service and/or the University should allow the Division to establish a trust fund into which growth capital could accumulate for construction of a Division building and for other needed resources.
12. While a certain number of lectureship positions is desirable, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs should work towards increasing the percentage of tenure-track positions by replacing lecturer positions with tenure-track positions.
13. To facilitate communication with and participation by the faculty in University governance, the Chancellor should appoint the President of the Faculty to the Chancellor's Cabinet.
14. The Chancellor should work with the Faculty Senate to establish a more effective and timely system for responding to Senate motions.
15. The Provost should compile regulations, procedures, and policies governing part-time faculty in a "Part-Time Faculty Handbook," and this handbook should be distributed to all part-time faculty early in their first semester of teaching.
16. The Provost and the Dean of the Graduate School should establish a mandatory training program for applicants to be teaching assistants for whom English is a second language and who are not proficient in spoken English.

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Appendix 4-A  -  Organizational Chart for the Division of Academic Affairs

Appendix 4-B  -  Organizational Chart for the Office of Special Programs

Appendix 4-C  -  OSP Program Planning and Implementation Process

Appendix 4-D  -  Program Evaluation Form, Office of Special Programs

Appendix 4-E  -  Undergraduate Extension Course Proposal Form

Appendix 4-F  -  Graduate Extension Course Proposal Form

Appendix 4-G  -  Review of Credentials of Extension Instructor Form

Appendix 4-H  -  CEU Activity Proposal Form

Appendix 4-I  -  A Brief, Step-by-Step Guide for the EPA Faculty

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Last Updated: February 15, 2000