National survey says UNLV professors hard to find

Jennifer Knight

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.

Professors at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, have received poor marks in a popular nationwide student survey, placing 10th in the unflattering category of instructors who "make themselves scarce."

The designation was made in the Princeton Review's annual college guidebook, "The Best 345 Colleges," which was released this week. The test preparation company, which is not affiliated with Princeton University, ranks colleges in 63 categories.

Professors who "make themselves scarce" are not available to offer help to students outside of the classroom, according to the survey.

"That's the truest statement I've heard," said Chelsey Ankenbauer, a 20-year-old film student at UNLV. "I guess I would say they're just not caring. They don't care whether you pass or fail. They don't care if you come to class or not."

Ankenbauer said last semester she had one adjunct instructor who told her class that his own time was more valuable than his teaching duties at UNLV.

Lisa Dell, 19, a communications major, said the problem is that often part-time teachers are assigned to teach a course at UNLV but given no office or phone.

"You just can't get a hold of them," Dell said.

Jenny Quinn, 24, a communications major, agreed.

"Professors here prefer to do everything by e-mail so that face-to-face contact isn't there," Quinn said. "It just doesn't seem they are really on your side."

At least one student had a different opinion.

"So far, I've had good teachers. Most of them are full time," said Elena Kurokawa, a sophomore who has not decided on a major.

The rankings come from surveys of 100,000 college students nationwide and feature such categories as the greatest profs, the worst food, the poshest dorms and the controversial title of the best party school (the University of Colorado took top honors this year).

UNLV officials say they don't put much stock in the results.

"We have no faith whatsoever in the Princeton (Review) survey," Tom Flagg, UNLV's spokesman, said. "It's not scientific. They have no methodology. It's actually a disservice to students. It's like being ranked by MTV."

Elsewhere in the survey, UNLV was No. 19 spot in the unflattering category "professors with the lowest marks" in teaching skills. UNLV also placed 19th in a separate category, "teaching assistants that are teaching too many upper-level courses."

UNLV's high percentage of part-time faculty has been an issue of concern. According to a UNLV faculty workload report released this year, 54 percent of undergraduate students are taught by a full-time instructor, compared with 47 percent nationally. However, 87 percent of graduate students were taught by a full-time instructor in 2002.

John Readence, UNLV Faculty Senate chairman, could not be reached for comment about the survey.

UNLV did have one bright notation in the survey. It was noted as one of 129 colleges among the "Best in the West."

"I would love to say to that part, that's marvelous, but unfortunately I can't say it's any more significant than the rest of the study," Flagg said.