Resolution requests 150 more professors
By JOSH BOURGEOIS
Assistant News Editor
The Faculty Senate requested an additional 150 faculty be hired over the next 10 years, at Wednesday night's meeting.
The senate's resolution stated, "the Faculty Senate requests that the President, Academic Council and The Board of Trustees set a target of 150 additional faculty over and above those called for in the Colloquy report during the next 10 years."
This resolution came one day after University president Father Edward Malloy, in his annual address to the faculty, discussed the growth of Notre Dame's teaching body. He said the University has added an average of 10 full-time faculty positions per year since 1987. The Senate's proposal would increase that average by five.
The committee on Academic Affairs proposed this resolution because of the importance of low student to faculty ratios and class size to the quality of undergraduate and graduate education at Notre Dame and to the U.S. News and World Report College Rankings.
Tom Cosimano, chair of the committee on Academic Affairs, said that the idea to improve the rankings by acquiring more faculty occurred after examining the U.S. News and World Report College Rankings.
"We [the committee on Academic Affairs] systematically looked at the report and saw what could be done to match similar numbers to those universities in the top 10 in the rankings," Cosimano said.
"If you look at the top 10 universities, there is an average student to faculty ratio of nine to one. To make that ratio possible, the university would need to hire 150 new professors," he said.
After debate over the language and order of the resolution, the Faculty Senate passed the resolution in an unanimous vote.
Faculty Senate also passed two memorial resolutions in the memories of Professor John Malone, who taught in the marketing department for over 40 years, and Professor David Appel, who taught in the marketing department for 32 years. Faculty Senate observed a moment of silence in memory of the professors.
All News Stories for Thursday, October 7, 1999
