If each section had 40 students, there would be a total of 40.25 sections of theology (100, 200, 300). If the teaching load for a professor is three sections per semester (or six per year), that would mean that 6.8 professors would be required at steady state.
Of course, some sections might have less than 40 students
In fact, all sections will have less than 40 students. Last I looked, the Theology gen ed classes are capped at a maximum of 30 and the Core courses have a capacity of 20. In addition, from a practical point of view, there aren't many classrooms on campus designed for 40 students. Finally, as has been displayed, the Theology and Philosophy Department does not have 11 faculty teaching courses, which is the figure you use for your calculations. ("Nonetheless, if the Theology department has 11 faculty yet needs 6.8, this would be a 38% reduction in faculty.")
Note to Valpo U Marketing/PR staff:
What are the results of the Valpo Day fundraising? There was a flurry of e-mails soliciting donations, promoting group competitions and hyping fundraising yet no news about final results or when (of if) such results would be posted. What a let down! The updated tabulations seem to have been erased from the Valpo Day 2024 website. Did the efforts meet the stated goals for the hoped for number of contributions and amounts donated? I am increasingly disappointed with the PR efforts of this current administration for the university. They seem not know how to engender excitement and interest for continuing support of the university. There is little or no effective effort to counter the significant negative news concerning Valpo U. such as the academic program review/cutting, athletic department resignations, and art sale controversy. Please devote some attention to this issue.
@valpo95 Where are you getting the notion that Theology has 11 faculty? Full timers in A&S Theology are only five: Driver, Becker, Abedlgawwad, Pati, Brobst-Renaud. Meanwhile, A&S Philosophy faculty are two: Preston and Geiman.
@vuindiana, I got the "notion" of 11 from the previous posts (see below), which included three university chairs. I was going on the assumption that those numbers were correct - they seem close if your numbers did not include Denysenko and Holman as university chairs, plus the fact that there are two associated faculty (Gary, MacDonald), and five senior research faculty (DeMaris, Heider, Meilaender, Moore, Niedner). Someone else could correct the numbers to reflect how many of these associated faculty and senior research faculty (which are usually semi-retired) are regularly teaching theology courses.
As of right now looking at the website, there are 11 faculty/chairs for the Theology/Philosophy Department, not counting affiliated faculty of which there are two.
Of the 11, three are endowed chairs (Ekrich, Jochum, and World Religions) that should be funded outside department budget. Two are visiting assistant professors. (As you note, associated faculty do not count because they are funded elsewhere and do not teach theology or philosophy.) Only four listed are permanent faculty in theology and just two in philosophy. Out of those six, I believe 5 are tenured and 1 is tenure track. Due to a loophole sought by the administration, those faculty would lose their tenure status if the major is eliminated in theology and philosophy.
In fact, all sections will have less than 40 students. Last I looked, the Theology gen ed classes are capped at a maximum of 30 and the Core courses have a capacity of 20. In addition, from a practical point of view, there aren't many classrooms on campus designed for 40 students. Finally, as has been displayed, the Theology and Philosophy Department does not have 11 faculty teaching courses, which is the figure you use for your calculations. ("Nonetheless, if the Theology department has 11 faculty yet needs 6.8, this would be a 38% reduction in faculty.")
@valpopal, don't blame me. I was running some quick numbers. Someone could update my analysis very quickly to reflect the number of faculty (though 11 seems like a reasonable estimate based on my look at the website, see my reply above.) If some of those faculty are teaching sections of 15, then many more faculty would be required. Similarly, if faculty members are teaching in-major courses for two or three students, this would dramatically increase the number of faculty required. Remember, there are only five students majoring in theology!
Maybe someone could confirm the teaching load - is it six sections per year? Do students take one, two or three theology courses?
My bottom line of saying that there could be be a reduction of from one to four faculty and still have enough to teach the service courses seems reasonable.
@valpo95 Under the proposal of discontinuation in Theology and Philosophy, the visiting assistant professors would likely be let go. This leaves seven so-called full-time faculty for teaching in theology and philosophy going forward as listed by vuindiana; however, one has a course reduction as a department chair and another has a reduction in an endowed chair position but is also likely funded by an outside budget anyway.
Therefore, unless on sabbatical or receiving a course reduction for various services, the totals of faculty funded by the department available to teach full-time would be four in theology and two in philosophy. Each likely teaches a Core class every semester as well, which subtracts from availability for theology or philosophy. As previously mentioned, associated professors are in outside departments. The Senior Professors are honorary positions: all retired from teaching and do not receive any salary or benefits.
I am told current teaching loads for the four full-time faculty in theology and two in philosophy are probably 3-3, though a couple may be 3-2. I believe five of the six currently are tenured, the other is tenure-track. So each semester, they are available to teach three classes at most, but one is probably a core class outside the department. All the theology courses are capped at 30, while the capacity for Core classes is 20; obviously, the precise numbers might be below the max. Gen ed requires two theology semesters and two semesters of Core, but students may also take theology or philosophy courses to satisfy other gen ed requirements (for example, the diversity category).
I am told by a faculty member in the department that the discontinuance proposal would remove tenure status from all those in theology and philosophy, replaced by renewable one-year contracts, which can be terminated any year. In any case, retiring professors would not be replaced. It would also require a 4-4 teaching load of all without any salary increase as compensation. It would eliminate many courses and any research support. Future faculty would be low-cost lecturers, possibly part-time without medical or pension benefits.
Note to Valpo U Marketing/PR staff:
What are the results of the Valpo Day fundraising? There was a flurry of e-mails soliciting donations, promoting group competitions and hyping fundraising yet no news about final results or when (of if) such results would be posted. What a let down! The updated tabulations seem to have been erased from the Valpo Day 2024 website. Did the efforts meet the stated goals for the hoped for number of contributions and amounts donated? I am increasingly disappointed with the PR efforts of this current administration for the university. They seem not know how to engender excitement and interest for continuing support of the university. There is little or no effective effort to counter the significant negative news concerning Valpo U. such as the academic program review/cutting, athletic department resignations, and art sale controversy. Please devote some attention to this issue.
From my experiences running a few web fund raisers. Typically you take down the running total when the timeframe is over. Usually this is to turn the bar from a dynamic counter to a static counter. If left as a dynamic counter, any donations to the fund after the time is up would continue to be counted.(Look at some web fundraisers after the time of fundraiser has expired, if you dont do this properly you will see percentages go well into the 300s). There should be a release of the final and a static progress bar soon, that being if the goal was actually met.
As for PR, it seems the PR department is throwing most of their focus onto the athletics and not the whole campus. Might be trying to draft some sort of big PR stunt to announce the new degrees? I'm a tech guy not a marketing guy so your guess is as good as mine.
Although there are no final numbers available, I did just get an update with various groups and the number of contributors to each.
Leading the pack was Swimming! 231
Then there was Soccer at 87
Then Women's Basketball at 72
Then Baseball at 42
Football at 38 (with obviously the largest alumni base) ☹
Then there was Men's Basketball at 21 just below Bowling at 24!! 😩
Swimming has seem some success ever since moving from the ARC pool to the VAC. Having been a swimmer for Valpo High, it really is a top tear facility at the non power 6 swimming level. Could be why they were the highest donor base. People are more wiling to support the successful programs.
Just watched a Green Bay TV station that covered something that I hadn’t thought of.
UWGB is joining with neighboring St. Norberts College in De Pere to offer programs across both institutions. SNC is a selective, private liberal arts, DIII college of around 2,000 undergrads. It seems both institutions realize that cooperation rather than competition will benefit both.
Given the proximity to Valpo of some public colleges, is this something Valpo could leverage?
@vulb62 They can certainly leverage proximity to hospitals with Purdue. IU used to run their Health school out of IUPUI because of the hospitals in Indy. With the health degree being strong at VU. It could be a bargaining chip. I know Purdue already looked into buying the school, they could partner with their Calumet campus in MC or even PWN in the Hammond area to offer health degrees.
@rezynezy The sense I got up here in GB is that the leverage was more of a broader balance — LA strengths from SNC to augment the UWGB curriculum and vocational strengths from UWGB to augment SNC.
Regardless, it could be a win/win for VU and local public colleges. I haven’t the foggiest notion as to how to make this happen, but it seems like something worth exploring.
It seems like VU and Purdue are on decent enough terms. Maybe talks will ensue based on the success of the plan in green bay
@rezynezy The sense I got up here in GB is that the leverage was more of a broader balance — LA strengths from SNC to augment the UWGB curriculum and vocational strengths from UWGB to augment SNC.
Basically students spend 2 years on one campus and 3 on the other (or vs./vs) and receive a Masters. Tuition is balanced somehow.
Regardless, this concept could be a win/win for VU and local public colleges. I haven’t the foggiest notion as to how to make this happen, but it seems like something worth exploring.
@vulb62 So a masters in 5 program. A lot of schools implement masters in 5. Its a good system.
