In our super competitive world, it becomes increasingly important to stand out. This is evident on websites, resumes and college profiles. Connecticut College prides itself on its 55 areas of study, which is fantastic for the undecided high school senior applying to school. It has the best of both worlds: a liberal arts environment with the berth of study of a big university. A problem arises, however, when the reality does not meet advertised expectations.
Fields of study at the College are broken into two categories: programs and departments. The departments constitute the majority of the fields of study at Connecticut College: Biology, English, Economics, French and Art, among others. There are also some unique departments compared to other colleges: Botany, Gender & Women’s Studies and Slavic Studies. Then there are programs: Africana Studies, Architectural Studies, Environmental Studies and so on.
The programs are what make the College stand out when high school seniors are choosing a school. They add an intriguing layer to the academic world. Programs are a huge asset to the school, but this does not always shine through when it comes to administration.
In order for a field of study to become a department, it must have at least three tenure-track faculty members. There are three kinds of professors: visiting professors, adjunct professors and tenured associate professors. The main difference comes down to finances. A visiting professor receives full pay and a full schedule. The College and the visiting professor do not have a responsibility towards each other for more than the year of their contract. An adjunct professor’s pay is determined by the number of classes he or she teaches. The school is not responsible for their health insurance or any other expenses.
A tenure-track professor is given associate professor status and essentially cannot be fired unless they break a major rule of the College. This is the best situation to be in as a professor, because they have the ability to leave if they wish, but are rarely forced to leave. This is a huge expense to which a college needs to commit. Because programs are not as well-funded as departments, they may be less dependable in pulling in students on a yearly basis, making it difficult to see reason to set aside the necessary funds.
There are no tenure-track faculty in programs, limiting the consistency in courses. The departments have less say as to which courses are taught and how they are mapped. This can be a challenge for students because different logistical boundaries may prevent students from studying their passions.
Professor Courtney Baker, Director of the Africana Studies Program, explained: “It can be difficult to major in a program because the program’s faculty’s first obligation is to their home department.” This means that a student may rely on a course that was taught in the spring in years past, but instead of being taught in the upcoming spring, the professor must teach a course in their home department. Or, sometimes, two necessary courses are taught for the major, but they are taught at the same time. Additionally, because the school has no obligation to adjunct professors, financial cuts may force an excellent professor to leave the school. It is a long term cost that is not often considered in the development of programs.
Despite these prominent challenges, some programs, like Environmental Studies, thrive within the system. Sometimes, programs face challenges in course mapping, but by with a plethora of professors, they can offer a great variety of courses.
Professor Peter Siver, head of the Environmental Studies Program explained, “There are faculty who would need to be teased from their primary departments if the Environmental Studies Program were to become a department.” Because it remains a program, Environmental Studies cross-lists courses with up to 12 other departments, but due to the huge size of the program, it functions like a department. It even has an advisory board, which is unusual for a program. They have managed to build a strong system of education despite the confines of the program.
It all comes down to money, of which there is rarely enough. This applies no differently to academic programs. If there were unlimited funds, more faculty members could be hired, and there would not be as much restriction. It seems that there are so many benefits to being a program, primarily the diversity of classes offered and the different views and backgrounds of the individuals within the classes. If the school could balance the funding between the departments and programs more evenly, it would drastically reduce the differences between expectations and reality. •
