Faculty Achievements
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte employs many professors whose academic achievements are among the highest in the nation.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905, is a U.S.-based, independent policy and research center whose charge is "to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of the teacher and the cause of higher education."
The foundation is a major national and international center for research and policy studies about teaching. Its mission is to address the "hardest problems faced in teaching in public schools, colleges and universities." It teaches professors "how to succeed in the classroom, how best to achieve lasting student learning and how to assess the impact of teaching on students."
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is the only university in the United States of America to have three Carnegie Foundation Professors of the Year on the faculty at one time. In addition, UNC Charlotte produces the second largest number of new teachers among all 47 institutions in the State of North Carolina.
Faculty and Student Relationships
More than 900 full-time faculty members are employed in the University抯 academic departments. This allows students to have the opportunity to learn from a faculty member who already has experienced many challenges the students might be facing. American students feel strongly about being able to build a personal relationship with their professors so that they feel comfortable opening up about issues that affect their educational life. Students know professors that they regularly talk with about issues and problems related to their education. The students feel that most professors are easy to talk to and that the advice they receive is very beneficial. American students value the opportunity to speak freely to professionals in and outside of the classroom about issues that relate to their study in hopes that the advice given can guide them successfully to graduation and in the future.
Faculty members always provide office hours, during which time they are available for the students in their classes. Also, professors at various levels hold positions as advisors to the students. Each student is assigned an advisor when enrolling in the University. Usually, an advisor is a faculty member in the department of the student抯 area of study. Some students meet with their advisor regularly and others meet when it is required. All students must meet with their advisors in order to be able to register for classes each semester and to make any academic changes.
One professor expressed his views that one of the biggest challenges for most professors is "finding time to devote to students...to be able to sit and talk with students freely and openly about their present and future ambitions."