Selling Students Short: Declining Teaching Loads at Colleges and Universities

Andrew Gillen:

When it comes to laying blame for the high price of college, one culprit always comes to the fore: the size and the cost of faculty. Faculty salaries often account for the majority of a university's spend¬ing, and these salaries not only compensate faculty for their research but for directly instructing students as well. Yet this latter responsibility, fundamental to a faculty position, has in recent years been a declining part of the job.

What does this decline mean for higher education?

As Andrew Gillen explains in Selling Students Short, the decrease in teaching loads has had a dramatic influence on the spiraling costs of higher education. As colleges face impending budget cuts and students and families find it harder to keep pace with rising tuition, increasing teaching loads could provide significant relief.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 25, 2013 1:21 AM
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