by Laura Ahonen, MS, MLS(ASCP), Associate Dean, Allied Health & Human Services at Northcentral Technical College, Programs Accreditation Review Committee Chair 2020-2022

How do you determine if your laboratory science program needs more faculty, and how can you advocate effectively for those additional resources when accreditation standards may not prescribe a faculty-to-student ratio? The answer lies in building a data-driven case that demonstrates the program’s needs and the benefits of adding faculty.

Step 1: Document Current Faculty Workload

Start by analyzing the hourly workload of your existing faculty. Create a detailed log of daily activities, broken down hour by hour. Be sure to include all tasks, such as:

• Preparing lectures and labs
• Cleaning up after labs
• Managing inventory and ordering supplies
• Grading assignments
• Meeting with students
• Participating in college committees or other institutional obligations

This thorough documentation will provide a clear picture of how current faculty allocate their time. An added bonus of this step is that it validates the “feeling” of being understaffed. If your program is genuinely understaffed, this process will reveal that faculty workloads exceed 40 hours per week.

Step 2: Project the Impact of Additional Faculty

Next, envision what the workload distribution would look like with an additional faculty member. This helps illustrate the potential benefits of expanding the team. Identify specific tasks and projects that are currently left undone due to time constraints. Let your administration clearly see the additional benefits to students and the program. Emphasize that certain initiatives, currently neglected, can be accomplished with additional faculty. Examples might include:

• Developing interactive, student-focused course content
• Updating and enhancing laboratory exercises

• Hosting “open labs”
• Facilitating student clubs
• Recruiting new students through participation in K-12 events and open houses

This step is important. It demonstrates how additional faculty can contribute to the program’s growth and improvement. Create a clear picture that shows “what is now” versus “what can be.”

Step 3: Highlight Student Benefits

Quantify how additional faculty can improve the student experience. Consider the following:

• How much time do students spend waiting for instructor assistance during lab sessions?
• How could additional faculty increase opportunities for one-on-one mentoring or advising?
• What new initiatives could be implemented to better support student learning and engagement?

Use specific examples to show how these improvements could lead to higher student satisfaction, retention, and success.

Step 4: Include Financial Considerations

Incorporate financial data into your proposal to strengthen your case. Address the cost of hiring additional faculty and explore potential cost offsets, such as:

• Reduced reliance on adjunct instructors
• Reduction in student attrition
• Increased enrollment due to enhanced recruitment efforts

Additionally, predict how improved student outcomes, such as higher retention and job placement rates, could positively impact the program’s reputation and financial health over time.

Step 5: Create a Compelling Proposal

Compile your findings into a well-organized, data-driven document. Ensure your proposal is succinct, clear, and visually appealing. Include charts, graphs, and predictive analytics to illustrate how additional faculty will positively impact program outcomes, retention, and job placement.

Administration values student feedback, so if you have quotes from classroom evaluations that highlight dissatisfaction tied to faculty availability or the faculty-to-student ratio, include these verbatim to strengthen your argument.

Another selling point is the comparison to other programs. If you know of other programs that have a faculty-to-student ratio, add this to your proposal. Show how your program compares to other similar programs.

Final Tip: Be the Expert

Administrators rely on you as the program expert. Don’t assume they understand the intricacies of your program’s needs. Take the time to explain your data, demonstrate the impact of additional faculty, and articulate how these changes align with institutional goals.

By presenting a thoroughly researched and data-supported case, you’ll be well-positioned to successfully advocate for the faculty resources your laboratory science program needs to thrive.

Staff Note – This is the fourth article in our ongoing series on advocating for your program. Previous installments include:

• Strict Accreditation Standards May Be Challenging to Medical Laboratory Programs  by Dr. Hassan Aziz
• The Pitfalls of Prescriptive Standards in Clinical Laboratory Science Education by Dr. Peter Hu
• How to Approach Your Administration to Get What You Want by Dr. Elaina Bleifield

On March 12th, NAACLS will culminate this series with a special Dr. NAACLS roundtable with those who participated. Registration is open. Additionally, NAACLS Board of Directors President Robert Cottrell and NAACLS CEO Marisa James will host a breakout session at CLEC this March. See the CLEC app for details!