Better Student-Faculty Ratios

In 2005, when the ratio for students and tenure-track faculty was 25.3, UCOP declared that “the University will not permit the student-faculty ratio to deteriorate further.” Unfortunately, the UC didn’t live up to this goal, and between 2005 and 2025, student-faculty ratios for tenure-track faculty across the UC system have increased from 25.3 to 29.6.  

Now, UCOP’s University of California 2030 Capacity Plan sets a goal of adding 1,100 tenure-track faculty by 2030. With a projected student body of 320,000-330,000, this would yield a student-faculty ratio of between 27.6 – 28.5. While it does not meet the 25:1 level UCOP deemed unacceptable in 2005, it would be a step in the right direction.

The administration has a history of announcing goals and then missing them. UCOP proposed adding 1,100 tenure-track faculty members between 2018–19 and 2022–23 academic years. However, UC data shows an increase of only 110 during that period. 

A worsened faculty-to-student ratio has a critical impact on the quality of higher education by greatly increasing faculty workload and degrading the teaching and research experience. Tenure-track faculty-to-student ratios underscore the principle that tenured faculty should be the central component of the higher education system. 

We insist that tenure-track faculty are the center of the higher educational system and Pres. Milliken’s top priority should be to secure the role of the tenure-track scholar in higher education. Through this campaign the FAs “fighting for the future of higher education,” by improving both their faculty work-life balance and the quality of higher education for our students.