Hi
We just got back from a tour of another State University that was proud to let prospective students know that ALL classes are taught by full professors - no TAs. Anyone know how that works at UA?
Thanks again for all of the AMAZING info from this Board!
Whoa ^ …that is a very bold statement to make, if it is true.
Here’s been our experience for the past 3 years at UA.
In those large ‘introductory’ STEM classes (think level 100s and maybe the odd 200 level), there is often a lecture taught by the professor…and then there is often a recitation (or a lab) which may be taught (more like overseen) by a graduate TA. My son’s Statics (200 level) class was actually taught by a PhD ‘student’, who had finished her PhD, but I don’t believe she was fully hired as a professor, but was certainly qualified to be a professor and was more than capable of teaching that class. My son was asked to be a TA once for a freshman-level class, but his role was going to be (as I understand it) more to circulate and help - the professor was still in the room at all times. He declined, so I don’t know actually what he would have been doing.
In the smaller ‘major’ classes (as in classes required for your major), all have been taught by a professor, too. In son’s non-STEM classes, he has had nothing but professors, except I believe in Chinese there may have been a graduate student at one point (who was from China, so perfectly capable). In any Honors class, regardless of the subject, it will be taught by a professor, full stop and this has been our experience with all honors classes he took: definitely no TAs there.
So, perhaps it is true at UA that only professors teach all classes? I didn’t think so, but reflecting back on son’s 3 years, that’s pretty much been the case.
I can only speak for my own experiences and those of my friends, but the vast, vast majority are taught by full professors. There are some cases (such as Differential Equations and Discrete Math in the math department) where there are also some graduate teachers, but I had a grad TA as my Discrete professor last semester and had a great experience. Plus, if that’s a big priority for you, there are always options for sections taught by professors.
My son has never had TA taught class in his 3 years and at this point I don’t think he will, Roll Tide!
I assume that the OP is referring to real professors rather than “full” professors. Fulls are the most senior of all profs, but assistant profs and associate profs are often great teachers.
Thanks again 
ps the admissions officer said “full” I guess she meant “real” profs.
@CheddarcheeseMN I was not aware of that description. I should clarify, then, that I meant that the vast majority of classes are taught by “real” professors, not grad students.
I doubt that there is a univ that has all classes taught by “full profs”. I think the person misspoke and meant “profs”, not TAs.
And…I DOUBT that school has profs teaching its “PE style” classes. Those are typically “taught” by grad students because you don’t need a prof for those classes.
Anyway…my kids had profs teach all classes, except their jogging class, physical conditioning class, and one of their Italian classes.
I’ve heard that sub-100 math classes aren’t taught by profs. Those are “pre-college” math classes.
UA tends to have a larger number of classes taught by full time tenure track faculty than many other colleges and universities.
Many colleges and universities have gone to using contingent faculty. for teaching certain courses instead of grad students or tenure track faculty. UA uses a small amount of contingent faculty, particularly for subjects that can be taught by professionals in the field. For example, many undergraduate business law courses are taught by local lawyers and judges, one of whom has even served on the Alabama Supreme Court.
The business school will occasionally have PhD candidates teach summer courses and selected fall and spring courses during their final year so they have experience teaching.
I will say that having a PhD or being a tenure track professor does not automatically make one a great instructor. Some of my favorite instructors have been contingent faculty or were in their final year of PhD studies.
Pretty sure my son’s EN 103 class was taught by a grad student, so I’m assuming EN 101&102 (along with 104, which is for Blount Initiative students) may be as well.
These are small, intensive writing seminars. The honors versions (103&104) allow the instructor to teach from his or her own specific academic interests.
My daughter is a rising senior in the business school. She has had a couple classes with large lectures and smaller recitation or lab sections where a professor taught the lecture class and a TA taught the related recitation/lab section. Her EN 103 class was taught by a professor. The only class where she had a graduate student as the main teacher was a Kinesiology class (racquetball). Her business law class was taught by a local judge.
Certain classes such as Bio 114, which also has a lab component, could have the lab taught by a TA. the TA’s are carefully selected, have specific training, take all safety classes and work directly with the students. The professor is generally not in the lab. The TA is very qualified and works directly for the professor.
My son had a mix of instructors, some with PhDs, some with Masters, some teaching classes at both the local community college and the university. He had one “full professor” for a math class, but that definitely did not guarantee a good math class (not all professors are gifted teachers.) One instructor worked for the university in a non-academic position but was also a PhD student, and was a nice teacher, but really had too much going in order to prepare for class each week. One science professor was retired, and brought back to teach part time, but that professor often overslept and arrived late for class. All labs were run by TAs.
When I think of universities that rely on TAs, I always think of UC Berkeley, and my son did not have that experience at all. All of his teachers/instructors/professors at UA were experienced adults, knowledgeable, and some were better teachers than others. But when it comes to college, it is a partnership, and no student should depend on the instructor doing all the work anyway. A student gets out of any class what he/she brings to it, and sometimes has to do that in spite of what the instructor brings to it. Thankfully, my son enjoyed a really good group of instructors his first year. Even the one who should have stayed retired knew his subject, and, even if he shouldn’t have been in the classroom anymore, he was funny and the class had a good time.