We have not been able to get an increase in faculty during that time. Two classes have more than 35 students. Neal Abraham, vice president for academic affairs, said that the numbers are close to University averages. The communication department realizes that many departments have their own demands for staffing. The University administration has to weigh and balance our requests versus the other departments on campus.
All departments have two routes to take when requesting addition faculty members.
For tenured positions, departments send requests to the Resource Allocation Subcommittee, comprised of faculty members. The subcommittee reviews requests and assesses departmental needs, according to Abraham. The subcommittee reports its recommendation to the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning. The committee then advises the administration on the priority of the requests. The communication department has requested two new tenure-track professors, McCall said.