The first year at the University can be overwhelming. The huge, impersonal lower level classes and the scramble to sign up for higher level classes is a big change from high school. But unlike high school teachers, many University professors give students the chance to participate in scholarship and research which may be read and talked about long after students graduate.
These give-and-takes of University life are part of every student's undergraduate academic experience. Still, students worry that too much emphasis is placed on research at the expense of undergraduate education. In some departments, the demand for classes vastly outweighs the supply, and some professors appear to have little time for students because of their own research.
The Board of Visitors recently approved recommendations of the Virginia 2020 Commission, which include an outline of the University's plans to step up its science and technology programs. The Board's approval prompted some members of the University community to believe that traditional undergraduate classroom learning experiences are being left behind in favor of the fast-moving world of scientific advancement.
Two men recently appointed to high-level academic positions hope to balance effectively these two worlds of scholastic research and undergraduate education. History Prof. Ed Ayers will become dean of the College Aug. 25, taking responsibility for the education of more than 10,000 students. Gene Block, a biology professor and now the vice president for research and public service, will take over as provost Sept. 1 and will act as the University's chief academic officer.
Ayers and Block agreed that the University encompasses the best of both worlds in that it's a great place to conduct research and get a bachelor's degree. But it can be a challenge for faculty to make sure all students get the attention they deserve.
"It's a great struggle [for faculty] to balance the competing needs of undergraduate students, graduate students and research programs," Block said.
Professors have to devote time to class, even though some think their time is better spent in the lab, he said. Block directed the Center for Biological Timing, which researches how organisms know when to initiate and terminate life processes, and taught an undergraduate course last year.
Fourth-year Engineering student Rich Burkholder said the amount of time professors dedicate to undergraduates depends on the professor.
"Some professors tend to concentrate solely on their research," Burkholder said. "But some like to involve undergraduates in their research, and that's always a plus."
The opportunity to participate in faculty research is a major benefit to attending the University, and it outweighs the advantages of going to a strictly undergraduate college like Swarthmore, Block said.
Third-year College student Chris Husser agreed that undergraduate education and faculty research go hand in hand, and the idea of a trade-off does not exist.
"A lot of people say professors don't have time for students because of their work," Husser said. "But [their research] makes them better teachers."
As an example, he added that most psychology professors, who usually teach large classes, have labs that hire undergraduate students.
Participating in research together fosters the best kind of faculty/student interaction, Husser said.
As dean, Ayers hopes to encourage undergraduates to participate in research.
"I've had great experiences working with undergraduates," he said. Many undergraduates helped him put together a Web site about the Civil War which won the e-Lincoln prize, a monetary award given to scholarly works about the Civil War-era on the Internet.
Ayers also hopes to help establish more programs similar to the David A. Harrison III Undergraduate Research Awards, which are grants given to about 40 undergraduates every year for research projects.
Another concern among higher education experts about research universities is that funding for research, especially scientific research, diverts money from teaching, particularly the humanities.
"There's so much pressure on universities to increase research funding to be at the forefront of research institutions," Cornell University Prof. Ronald G. Ehrenberg said. "You have to ask the question, 'Where does the money come from?'"
Ehrenberg has studied the effects of growing scientific research at private universities and found that, contrary to what he previously believed, the sciences have not taken money away from other fields.
In a study published earlier this month, Ehrenberg found that at 15 top private institutions, faculty resources were not, for the most part, allocated away from humanities toward the sciences in the past two decades.
But this does not necessarily mean that the scientific research is not crowding out the humanities, he said in his paper. For instance, there may be more teaching assistants in the sciences than in the humanities or there may be a reduction in travel opportunities or other "perks" for humanities faculty members because of increased institutional support for the science facilities.
"Research [in this trend] has only just begun," he said in the paper.
According to the Office of Institutional Assessment and Studies, 10 years ago the University spent about half as much money on research as it did on instruction. Now research expenditures count for three-quarters of the expenditures for instruction.
A common suspicion among undergraduates is that because of the emphasis on professors' work outside class, and because of the increased funding for research, students aren't getting enough choices in course offerings.
"Inside, the classroom experience is great" at the University, Ayers said, but it's sometimes difficult for students to enroll in the courses they want because not enough are offered.
But funding is not necessarily the reason, he said.
Every year, certain departments become popular, and student demand exceeds the amount of classes offered, he added. "It's not always government and psych," that attract the most students Ayers said.
One of his goals is to increase the number of classes for which there is the greatest demand.
He said he has concrete plans to make requests for funding, but it's too early to reveal specifics.
Adding classes is not part of Block's responsibilities; that's left up to the deans of each school.
Ayers and Block are excited about their new jobs and have been training and preparing for the new positions every day. As their first official days draw near, both men are looking forward to using positions of power to strike a balance between research and teaching as a positive step toward creating a comprehensive university education.
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