Paper Example on Surveyed Faculty Views on Compressed Academic Week

Introduction

The research office surveyed a sample of 75 faculty members to collect their views on the compressed academic week in spring 2009. Of the 75, 23 (31%) were from the Canino School of Engineering Technology, 29 (38%) were from the School of Business and Liberal Arts, and remaining 23 (31%) were from the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice. 13 (17%) of the respondents were adjunct faculty members, while 62 (87%) were full-time faculty members. 39% of the respondents (29) were female, and 61% (46) were males. Areas covered by the survey included the impact of the compressed academic work on traditional work schedule, use of additional time created, challenges faced, impact on the members' ability to get their work done, the impact on students' academic performance, and the members' level of satisfaction with the compressed academic week.

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Impact on Traditional Work Schedules Most of the participant indicated that the compressed academic week did not affect their traditional work schedules. 42 (55%) of the total respondents said that they worked the same number of days, while 28 (37%) indicated that they worked fewer days. The positive impact of the compressed week was most felt by faculty members of the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice, with 10 out of 23 (43%) members indicating that they worked fewer hours. Both the two members who worked more days were from the School of Business and Liberal Arts. Only 2 (3%) of the respondents said that they worked more days. The results indicate that the compressed academic week did not have a significant negative impact on traditional work schedules of faculty members. The compressed week did also not have a significant positive effect on traditional work schedules of faculty members since more than 50% of the members worked the same days.

Use Extra Time Created

39% (30) of the respondents used the extra time provided by the compressed academic week on class preparation. Canino School of Engineering Technology had the highest percentage of members who used the extra time provided on class preparation. 48% of the members interviewed from the school spent the additional time on class preparation, compared to 37% and 35% of the School of Business and Liberal Arts, and the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice respectively. 42% of the faculty members indicated that the compressed academic week did not provide any extra time. 50% of the faculty members from the School of Business and Liberal Arts said that the compressed academic week did not offer them additional time.

Challenges Faced with the Compressed Academic Week

35% (8) faculty members from Canino School of Engineering Technology cited the difficulty in finding time for office as one of the main changes associated with the compressed academic week. 35% of the respondents from the school also cited the absence of breaks in classes as a challenge with compressed academic week.

50% and 48% of the faculty members of the School of Business and Liberal Arts, and the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice, respectively, found it challenging to attend committee meetings during the compressed academic week. Overall, 43% of all the members had problems attending committee meetings. 41% of the respondents also highlighted other issues such as difficulty in finding time for extra help of students, hard to schedule advisees, challenging to meet due to student schedule, and no time for administration and program duties, among other problems.

Ability to get work done

55% of the total respondents indicated that the compressed academic week did not change their ability to get job done. However, this varied from one school to another. 65% of respondents from Canino School of Engineering Technology believed that the compressed academic week did not affect their ability to get work done. 61% of the members interviewed from the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justicebelieve that the compressed weed did not affect their ability to get work done. However, only 43% of the respondents from the School of Business and Liberal Arts indicated that the compression did not affect their ability to get work done, with 27% and 3% suggesting that it was harder, and much harder to get their work done respectively.

Effect on Students' Academic Performance

56% of all the members interviewed believed that the compressed academic week does not affect students' academic performance. 61% of the members from the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice believe that compressed academic week did not affect students' academic performance. 9% of the respondents from the school believe that the compression positively affected students' academic performance, with only 30% believing that it adversely impacts academic performance. The favorability of the compressed week was lowest in the School of Business and Liberal Arts with only 53% and 13% of the respondents feeling that the compression did not affect, and positive effect respectively. It implies that about 34% of the members feel that it negatively affected students' academic performance.

55% of the faculty members from Canino School of Engineering Technology feel that compressed academic week has neither a positive nor negative effect on students' academic performance. 14% and 32% of the respondents feel that compressed academic week affect students' academic performance positively and negatively, respectively.

Level of Satisfaction

27% of all the faculty members interviewed were very satisfied with the compressed academic week, while 24% were satisfied. It implies that more than half (51%) of the members were either very satisfied or satisfied with the idea. 34% of the members of the School of Business and Liberal Arts and 30% of the members of the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice were very satisfied with the idea. Among the reasons stated include is that it made students more efficient in doing outside jobs and family responsibility without interfering with their studies. Besides, some faculty members prefer working for four days and using Friday for travel and conferences to working five days. 15% of all the respondents were dissatisfied with the trial, including 22% of the faculty of the Canino School of Engineering Technology. Those dissatisfied cited that lab technicians are spread too thin, students had no time between classes to see instructors, students sat long for lectures, students are limited in the number of courses they can sign up for, and makes the work week hectic, among other issues.

17% of all the members and 21% of the respondents from the School of Business and Liberal Arts were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. They recognized the benefits of the idea but outlined the resulting issues such as lack of time to attend faculty meetings, and some students are expressed feelings of stress. Other members argue that it is not possible to determine whether it had a positive or negative effect on students.

Conclusion

Faculty members interviewed have mixed views on the effects of compressed academic week. 55% of the members worked the same days while 37% worked fewer days during the compressed academic week. 39% and 22% of the members that had extra time spent it on class preparation and academic research respectively. Members also expressed various challenges such as difficulty in finding time for office hours, no time breaks in lectures, and no time to attend committee meetings. Only 12% believe that it affects students' academic performance positively. Just over 50% are satisfied with the idea with other members expressing issues with the compression. The results suggest that the support for the compression is not overwhelming. The challenges raised by faculty members must be addressed to successfully implement compressed academic week at the institution.