Faculty Excellence in Teaching and Research
Expanding Brown’s faculty, providing additional resources in support of their teaching and research, and enhancing faculty excellence are at the heart of the Plan for Academic Enrichment. Brown’s success in this essential area affects virtually all other strategic initiatives. The tangible, positive effects of increasing the size of the faculty – currently the largest it has ever been – are visible in all aspects of academic life. For example, the student faculty ratio has been reduced to 9:1, which has permitted us to introduce a first-year seminar program and many other small classes for undergraduates; the target-of-opportunity program has allowed Brown to attract a diverse group of outstanding teachers and scholars from around the world; and the larger faculty provides more flexibility for supporting research initiatives and an improved sabbatical program.
The Plan has also placed a priority on improving faculty compensation to enable Brown to be more competitive with peer institutions when we seek to recruit and to retain the very best faculty. Start-up funds are at an all-time high, and there has been substantial improvement in our support for faculty and student research through outside funding, improved facilities, and new partnerships.
Looking ahead, we will concentrate on continued faculty growth and providing support and funds to promote excellence in teaching and research. Adding faculty to support the internationalization effort will be a priority, as will increasing the number of faculty in our strongest departments.