Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:58     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Stumbled upon this just now. Rising sophomore at a WASP. My professors in the past year were as follows:

Fall:
- Senior Lecturer (tenured teaching-only faculty), appointed in 2015
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2019
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2022
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2012

Spring:
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2013
- Professor on endowed chair, appointed in 2013
- Senior Lecturer, appointed pre-2009

Just for kicks, here's my schedule for the upcoming semester:

- Visiting Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2007
- Professor on endowed chair, appointed in 2004

That's 1 of 12. I am a double major in two departments known for being severely overenrolled. Is this good enough for you?


This is pretty articulate for a rising Sophomore.

Thank you!
Anonymous wrote:How do you know all of this? I am a tenured professor and I guarantee my students do not know these nuances, nor do they care.

Google. Also, I come from a family of academics.

Visiting assistant professors have three-year terms (if not more; I've seen longer) at my school, so I haven't noticed any continuity disturbances.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:31     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:OP, visiting professors are a good thing. Are you just upset cause you’re paying $90k?

I’m frustrated, because a college that gets 90k per full pay parent and has billions should be able to staff 6-10 faculty per department. My DC having 3 out of her 5 classes with visiting professors is an issue. She wanted to do a fellowship opportunity conducting research with an amazing professor but whoops- they’re visiting and leaving next year. She also needs rec letters from her department but the intro is left to the visiting staff so she has to wait for the appropriate faculty member to start opportunities. That is an issue.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:26     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:Yeah, DC 1 & 2 not at a WASP but at different SLACs. DC 1 is a biology major and has mostly had visiting professors in chemistry, geology, and languages - so their experience in their major has been very impacted. DC 2 is an ambitious Poli Sci/Econ/History major at a different SLAC and has had numerous visiting professors in all three fields. The instructors have been excellent, but the turnover does affect student experiences, especially in terms of detailed rec letters, thesis topics, and research. I just wanted to add that because DC 2 is only a sophomore and has raised the issue a lot this year and discussed it with concerned friends. It does happen. I'm a professor at an R1 institution - in a smaller department with mostly tenured and long-term hires with only 1 or 2 one-year positions - which minimizes turnover but it definitely does happen and I certainly wasn't aware of it prior to having my kids bring it up as part of their experience. That being said, DC 2 is getting an excellent education and is a bit overly ambitious, so this might not matter to other students as much.


DC1 experience has *not* been very impacted in their major, sorry
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:26     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Yeah, DC 1 & 2 not at a WASP but at different SLACs. DC 1 is a biology major and has mostly had visiting professors in chemistry, geology, and languages - so their experience in their major has been very impacted. DC 2 is an ambitious Poli Sci/Econ/History major at a different SLAC and has had numerous visiting professors in all three fields. The instructors have been excellent, but the turnover does affect student experiences, especially in terms of detailed rec letters, thesis topics, and research. I just wanted to add that because DC 2 is only a sophomore and has raised the issue a lot this year and discussed it with concerned friends. It does happen. I'm a professor at an R1 institution - in a smaller department with mostly tenured and long-term hires with only 1 or 2 one-year positions - which minimizes turnover but it definitely does happen and I certainly wasn't aware of it prior to having my kids bring it up as part of their experience. That being said, DC 2 is getting an excellent education and is a bit overly ambitious, so this might not matter to other students as much.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:25     Subject: Re:"Only taught by professors"
Junior at Williams. A majority of my department (Gender, Women and Sexuality studies) are visiting. Doesn’t affect me.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:24     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
OP, visiting professors are a good thing. Are you just upset cause you’re paying $90k?
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:22     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Stumbled upon this just now. Rising sophomore at a WASP. My professors in the past year were as follows:

Fall:
- Senior Lecturer (tenured teaching-only faculty), appointed in 2015
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2019
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2022
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2012

Spring:
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2013
- Professor on endowed chair, appointed in 2013
- Senior Lecturer, appointed pre-2009

Just for kicks, here's my schedule for the upcoming semester:

- Visiting Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2007
- Professor on endowed chair, appointed in 2004

That's 1 of 12. I am a double major in two departments known for being severely overenrolled. Is this good enough for you?


This is pretty articulate for a rising Sophomore. How do you know all of this? I am a tenured professor and I guarantee my students do not know these nuances, nor do they care.

I’ll also add with the professor titles. I’m a sophomore at a WASP too.

Fall:
-Full Professor of History
-Full Professor of Late Antique Medieval Studies/Classics
-Full Professor of Religious Studies/Africana Studies
-Full Professor of Physics

Spring:
-Full Professor of Government
-Visiting Assistant Professor of Geology
-Full Professor of Physics
-Associate Professor of Psychology
-Assistant Professor of Math

Relatively few, but my college does have a ton of visiting faculty.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:21     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
IME as a faculty member, at any given time 0-20% of a department may be out on leave. Visiting professors fill in the gaps. They’re full time and paid fairly as compared to adjuncts. Many of them have just finished their PhD or postdocs and will go on to tenure track positions at other universities. They actually might provide different connections to other universities in the future.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:19     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
I think having visiting professors are a good thing. It adds depth and makes a school less insular.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:18     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That’s BS. My kid just graduate from a WASP and was never taught by “visiting” professors nor TAs


I can’t help you. Multiple WASP schools have many visiting assistant professors. All of them in fact. It’s rare to have a department of only full or tenure track professors. Research your WASP.


I don’t need help from you. I’m telling you my kid’s experience - never had a visiting professor. Maybe it is at your school. If true, why don’t you list the classes and visiting professors.


I’ll bite. Two visiting professor pages for every WASP in the same academic department so it doesn’t look like I’m cheating you.
Williams: https://math.williams.edu/profile/ba9/
https://math.williams.edu/profile/dc25/
Amherst:
https://www.amherst.edu/people/facstaff/celliott
https://www.amherst.edu/people/facstaff/kmoore
Swarthmore:
https://einstein.domains.swarthmore.edu/
https://sites.google.com/view/carolyn-reinhart/home
Pomona:
https://www.pomona.edu/directory/people/max-hlavacek
https://www.pomona.edu/directory/people/taylor-mcadam

Any comments?


Yep, shows that visiting professors make up a small minority of faculty. Why don’t you compare that with National Universities and public flagships
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:16     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That’s BS. My kid just graduate from a WASP and was never taught by “visiting” professors nor TAs


I can’t help you. Multiple WASP schools have many visiting assistant professors. All of them in fact. It’s rare to have a department of only full or tenure track professors. Research your WASP.


I don’t need help from you. I’m telling you my kid’s experience - never had a visiting professor. Maybe it is at your school. If true, why don’t you list the classes and visiting professors.


I’ll bite. Two visiting professor pages for every WASP in the same academic department so it doesn’t look like I’m cheating you.
Williams: https://math.williams.edu/profile/ba9/
https://math.williams.edu/profile/dc25/
Amherst:
https://www.amherst.edu/people/facstaff/celliott
https://www.amherst.edu/people/facstaff/kmoore
Swarthmore:
https://einstein.domains.swarthmore.edu/
https://sites.google.com/view/carolyn-reinhart/home
Pomona:
https://www.pomona.edu/directory/people/max-hlavacek
https://www.pomona.edu/directory/people/taylor-mcadam

Any comments?
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:11     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:Stumbled upon this just now. Rising sophomore at a WASP. My professors in the past year were as follows:

Fall:
- Senior Lecturer (tenured teaching-only faculty), appointed in 2015
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2019
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2022
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2012

Spring:
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2013
- Professor on endowed chair, appointed in 2013
- Senior Lecturer, appointed pre-2009

Just for kicks, here's my schedule for the upcoming semester:

- Visiting Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Assistant Professor, appointed in 2023
- Associate Professor, appointed in 2007
- Professor on endowed chair, appointed in 2004

That's 1 of 12. I am a double major in two departments known for being severely overenrolled. Is this good enough for you?


This is pretty articulate for a rising Sophomore. How do you know all of this? I am a tenured professor and I guarantee my students do not know these nuances, nor do they care.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:10     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:Visiting professors can be filling in for tenured faculty who are on sabbatical or other leaves. Like all professors, they vary in quality. Why does this bug you so much? Is your DD getting a good education?


Agree, many of the visiting professors are quite good and are renowned in their field. They’ve all been vetted and add a different experience for the students
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:08     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Visiting professors can be filling in for tenured faculty who are on sabbatical or other leaves. Like all professors, they vary in quality. Why does this bug you so much? Is your DD getting a good education?
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2024 21:08     Subject: "Only taught by professors"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That’s BS. My kid just graduate from a WASP and was never taught by “visiting” professors nor TAs


I can’t help you. Multiple WASP schools have many visiting assistant professors. All of them in fact. It’s rare to have a department of only full or tenure track professors. Research your WASP.


I don’t need help from you. I’m telling you my kid’s experience - never had a visiting professor. Maybe it is at your school. If true, why don’t you list the classes and visiting professors.