Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-22
Rx DIR. BENJAMIN FINE

colleges and universities Of this
country face a serious shortage
of adequately trained faculty
members.
The shortage is most critical
in such fields as mathematics,
engineering, chemistry and
physics. The situation has been
getting worse during the last
five years, and will deteriorate
even more rapidly in the COM
ing decade.
Fewer faculty members with
doctor Of philosophy degrees
are being employed than at any
time in recent years. In 1854
SIS it was found that 40.5 per
cent of all college teachers had
the doctors degree. In l958-59
only 23.5 per cent of the new
professors appointed had this
degree. One-fifth of the new
college teachers have less than
a masters degree.
These findings are the result
of a nationwide survey by the
North American Newspaper
Alliance of the record college
expansion taking place in the
country today. After visits to
various campuses, interviews
with college and educational
authorities, and a review OF
existing conditions in higher
education, this writer is con-
WINGED that unless immediate
steps are taken college stand
ards will deteriorate.
Effort Takes Time
With a food of students COM
ing to the campuseS, there is a
danger that classes will be
overcrowded and that the
students will receive instruction
from unqualified or poorly pre-
pared instructors. The shortage
of college faculty members has
reached serious proportions. AL
though money can put up a
building, money by itself can
not prepare a teacher. 1t takes
time and effort to get qualified
teaching personnel.
Many otherwise competent
teachers are leaving the profess
sion for higher paid jobs in
business, government or re-
search.
A study of 938 colleges and
universities, just completed by
DR.. Ray C. Maui of the National
Education Association, shows
that more than half the COL
leges expect the faculty short
age to get worse in the next 10
years. Next September the COL
leges will need an additional
26,900 teachers. BY 1969-70 the
annual need will be $500.
It will be impossible to train
this many new teachers at the
present rate.
Colleges Willing
Nearly all types Of inStitu-
tons are showing an increasing
willingness to employ members
of the preceding bachelors
degree class for full-time class
room service. Almost 10 per
cent of the recently employed
new full time teachers in land
grant colleges have bachelors
degrees and nothing more.
Pay Raises Suggested
Various suggestions have
been offered to meet this cri-
sis. The most common one is
blunt and to the point: Pay
the professors more. At pres
ent the average salary of COL
lege teachers is about $4,000.
If we are to get competent men
and women, highly skilled, well
trained, scholarly and genuine
ly interested in the career of
teaching, the salaries must be
doubled.
College leaders, faced with a
critical shortage of Ph.D. hold
ers, and no prospect of produc-
ing an adequate supply, also
are debating the possibility of
a new advanced degree specif =
ically for teaching. Some edu-
Gators say the degree should
rank midway between the mas
ter's and the doctorate.
Another possible solution to
the seemingly insolvable prob
lem has been advanced by DR..