US: Enrolment growth outpaces faculty growth

Growth in enrolments has outpaced growth in public university and college faculty and staff in recent years, according to a new report issued by the State Higher Education Executive Officers, writes Andrea Fuller for The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Between 2001 and 2009, public universities saw an 8% reduction in the number of staff members per 100 full-time-equivalent students, says the report, "Staffing Trends in Public Colleges and Universities: A national analysis 2001-2009". Although both the number of staff and enrolment increased in that time frame, enrolment increased faster. While faculty-to-student ratios declined on the whole, the role of part-time faculty actually increased.
Full report on the Chronicle site