Contrary to popular belief and despite University Park's size, the report said the average baccalaureate student takes about six classes with more than 200 students.
The average baccalaureate graduate takes about 19 classes with 30 or fewer students. Of those, about eight classes had 20 or fewer students.
The average number of classes taken by 2002-03 baccalaureate graduates is about 45.8.
The report found the average University Park baccalaureate graduate had full-time faculty involvement in 63 percent of their courses. Ninety-nine percent of University Park's 2002-03 baccalaureate graduates had one-third or more of their classes taught by full-time faculty members.
According to the Office of the Registrar, in fall 2003 and spring 2004, there were more than 2,000 classes with fewer than 20 students, as compared to fewer than 100 classes with more than 200 students.
Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said the results went against Penn State's reputation as a large university with few small classes and full-time faculty members. "We always have an interest in understanding what kind of education we're providing Penn State students," Mahon said. "Certainly, we have heard concerns from people that suggest they aren't getting opportunities before they graduate, but the study would suggest that maybe they are."
He said smaller institutions publicize more small classes and full-time faculty interaction than larger institutions, but this study disproves that.
"We're happy with the results," he said. "The administration isn't surprised, but now we have a study to prove it."
Executive Vice President and Provost Rodney Erickson said in an e-mail message Tuesday that Penn State would "communicate this information to prospective students and their parents to help dispel the myths that often exist about the student experience at large comprehensive public universities."
Erickson said class size and faculty composition are important to the quality of education. "We want to have as many full-time faculty members as possible teaching in our courses, and there is evidence that student learning is improved in smaller classes," he said. "Indeed, Penn State has worked hard over many years to reduce the student-faculty ratio, and many of our larger sections in general education courses have been split into smaller sections to reduce class sizes."
Michael Dooris, the Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment's director of planning research and assessment, said he conducted the study to determine the actual numbers. "Everyone knew that students take a certain number of large classes, and we felt it was more than balanced by smaller classes," Dooris said. "The results are probably true about a lot of larger universities."
He said deans have already asked to replicate the study for their specific colleges, and depending on time and resources, further studies may be done. However, Dooris said he would not delve into comparisons of class size and full-time faculty between majors.
Justin Styles (senior-business management) said his experience has differed greatly from the study's results. He said most of his professors have not been full-time faculty, and most of his classes have had more than 30 students. "It's contradictory of me," he said. "But maybe it's just my program."
