Freshmen in huge classes with TAs as teachers? Study paints different picture

Not so, according to a study of the first-semester classroom experience of the members of the Fall 1995 freshman class compiled by the Office of Institutional Analysis.

The study shows that a typical UB freshman spends slightly more than half of his or her instructional time in classes enrolling 50 students or less. Moreover, half of the time the typical freshman spends in the classroom is with a faculty-ranked instructor.

The study found that students spend 30 percent of their time in classes enrolling 1-25 students, 24 percent in classes enrolling 26-50 students, 16 percent in classes enrolling 51-99 students and 30 percent in classes with 100 or more students.

It also determined that of the 14.4 hours per week the typical freshman spends in the classroom, half of the time he or she is being taught by a faculty-ranked instructor, either tenured-27 percent-or non-tenured-23 percent. Thirty-eight percent of the instruction received by the freshman is conducted by a teaching assistant, 6 percent by a professional staff member and the remaining 6 percent by other persons, such as temporary-services personnel or volunteers.

The 2,685 freshmen in the Fall of 1995 were taught by 786 different instructors.

The typical freshman spends 72 percent of his or her classroom time in a lecture setting, 16 percent in a laboratory, 7 percent in a recitation, 2 percent in a seminar, 2 percent in a discussion and 1 percent in a tutorial.

Their grades are respectable

And how does the typical freshman do grade-wise in his or her first semester at UB?

The typical freshman student earns a 2.66 grade-point average during his or her first semester at UB, according to the study. While 12 percent of freshmen are "seriously challenged," earning a QPA of less than 2.0 during their first semester at UB, the profile found that 41 percent achieve a 3.0 or better.

The typical distribution for final grades is broken down into 31 percent of grades being "As," 34 percent "Bs," 21 percent "Cs," 7 percent "Ds" and 7 percent "Fs." In addition, 121 incompletes, 650 resigns and 343 P/S/U grades are given out.