Administrators from Christopher Newport University are implementing a faculty selection policy that will evaluate the standings of prospective faculty members' alma maters in U.S. News and World Report.
The criterion was developed by and implemented under the leadership of CNU Provost Mark Padilla, who stated in an e-mail that as the school becomes more selective, it has become necessary to change the hiring processes of faculty and staff members.
"The university also expects that our candidates will be graduates of either a prestigious undergraduate institution or a highly ranked doctoral program," Padilla said.
According to an Inside Higher Ed report, candidates selected with this policy would need to meet one of the following criteria: "an undergraduate degree from one of the top 99 liberal arts colleges or the top 35 national universities in the U.S. News rankings; a terminal degree from one of the 69 best national universities in the U.S. News rankings; a terminal degree from a doctoral program ranked in the top 35 percent of National Research Council rankings; or election to [academic honor fraternity] Phi Beta Kappa."
Whether these evaluations are viable, however, is up for debate. Officials at the University of Virginia noted that they do not use any such methodology.
We "don't do it because we really focus on the portfolio of each candidate and the kind of quality going into position. There are no litmus tests or rankings that we would recruit from," said Gertrude Fraser, the University's vice provost for faculty advancement.
When hiring faculty members, Fraser said, the University looks for strong researchers who are committed to undergraduate teaching. Creativity, willingness to be collaborative and commitment to teaching when in the classroom are all desired factors, as well.
Although these quality applicants often hold degrees from prestigious institutions, Fraser said, a degree from Harvard or Yale University is not an automatic entry.
But even as CNU faces greater demands, Padilla said, its officials still "considers a wide variety of factors," including teaching ability, scholarship potential and interpersonal skills.
"We demand that our new faculty be able to provide excellent teaching at the undergraduate level and produce scholarship that allows them to remain current in their scholarly fields," he said.
CNU is currently the only public institution known to make use of the U.S. News and World Reports rankings explicitly in faculty selections. Nevertheless, the university's administrators do not necessarily see this policy as anomalous but rather as a way to achieve the institution's overarching goals.
"By considering the reputation of the undergraduate and graduate programs," Padilla said, "the university is simply following the implicit and explicit practices of the most prestigious institutions in the nation - a group to which the university aspires"
Read More
U.Va. researchers identify that HIV drugs can protect against Alzheimer’s disease
By Lauren Seeliger | YesterdayDoctor Jayakrishna Ambati and his research team have begun work on a new drug called K9 which could treat and prevent Alzheimer’s.
Graduating students share their future plans as they enter the job market
By Nina Broderick | 3 days agoMany students find the Career Center to be a valuable tool during the job search and application process.
U.Va.’s Finals Weekend spotlights the achievement and service of the Class of 2025
By Leigh Bailey | 4 days agoIn University President Jim Ryan’s welcome address, he acknowledged the support of family members and friends present in the audience and beyond that played supportive roles in these graduates’ lives.
