Faculty are what constitutes the core strength of a college. Student success is largely due to the efforts of faculty who teach complex material in a relatable way and inspire learning and participation in the classroom. Ask a graduate who had the most impact on their college experience and the answer is almost always a faculty member.

At the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, our 126 full-time faculty members and 292 adjunct faculty consistently educate and shape graduates who are well-prepared to transfer to a state university or immediately contribute to our local economy. The fact that our transfer students routinely out-perform the native students at our state universities in grade point average is testament to the work of our faculty. 

SCF faculty could work at any public or private university in the state, combining research and publishing with teaching responsibilities. Forty percent of our instructors have a doctoral degree and all are regarded as experts in their field of study. Many publish and conduct research, but what is truly impressive about our faculty is their passion for teaching. When we talk about a 24:1 student-to-teacher ratio in our classrooms, that is with the professor providing the instruction and interacting directly with our students.

Thanks to Florida’s two-plus-two articulation system, our students are receiving the same course curriculum in their first two years as their university counterparts, taught by our faculty in a smaller, more interactive learning environment. Feedback from our graduates who transfer to a university consistently shows that this personalized experience prepared them quite well to be successful. Our transfer students’ 3.12 university GPAs are further evidence of the excellent preparation students receive from SCF faculty.

When SCF’s Brain Bowl team qualifies for the National Academic Quiz Team Community College Championship Tournament this spring for the second time in three years, I see the impact of our faculty in the depth of knowledge and the quick recall of information our team possesses. When the college’s Model United Nations team wins best position paper for nine straight semesters, competing against colleges and universities in the U.S. Southern Region, I know that our faculty developed each team member’s research, writing and presentation skills. It goes beyond the outstanding advisors who guide these teams of scholars – every engagement in the classroom shapes the knowledge and talents of our students.

Our faculty members are not just committed to teaching, but to making the college experience more available and more affordable to our students. One professor recently created a collective $8,500 savings for his students by putting chemistry course experiments on the college’s on-line learning system. This is just one example of how our faculty reduces costs for our students, making a huge difference in whether or not students can afford to complete their program of study.

SCF’s faculty are frequently seen in the media, serving as subject matter experts on newsworthy topics such as the recent solar eclipse, cyber security, nursing shortages and the breakdown of public discourse. In the last year, SCF faculty members consistently appeared in the local news to help inform our community.

A recent Gallup study found that college graduates who “had a professor who cared about them as a person, one who made them excited about learning” were twice as likely to be successfully engaged in the workplace. Our faculty are committed to creating that kind of experience. At SCF, our strength is a faculty committed to the success of our students and our community.

Dr. Carol Probstfeld is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.