2.F.3 Sufficiency of Employees
Consistent with its mission, programs, and services, the institution employs faculty, staff, and administrators sufficient in role, number, and qualifications to achieve its organizational responsibilities and educational objectives, establish and oversee academic policies, and ensure the integrity and continuity of its academic programs.
Guided by the mission to transform lives and to meet the specific needs of students, communities, and the state of ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ, ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ employs faculty, staff, and administrators sufficient in role, number, and qualifications. Position reallocation and funding requests for new positions are evaluated for adequacy, effectiveness, and sustainability of programs and services. The authority to hire positions is decentralized to the units, with final authority residing with the appropriate vice chancellor. Units assess their mission, organizational needs, and funding resources and hire personnel to achieve objectives within the constraint of available funds. assists units in assessing their personnel needs, the recruitment process, and monitoring the hiring process for compliance and legal outcomes.
The university adopted through PageUp, an online recruitment system, in 2016. Each job announcement clearly states the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position, as well as the preferred qualifications. Typical educational requirements and typical length of time in similar previous positions are also described in detail. Guidance for supervisors, hiring managers, search committees, and applicants is located on the MyUA website. At various steps, review and authorization by HR is required for the process to continue. Authorization is required at the job description, job posting, request to interview, hiring proposal, and job offer stages. HR verifies compliance with law, , and best hiring practices throughout the process.
Sufficient in role, number, and qualifications. In the fall 2025 semester, ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ faculty supported students at a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:11. ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ employed a total of 866 faculty across all of its campuses, with 36% being adjunct faculty. Of the regular faculty, not including faculty administrators, 51% were tenure/tenure track, and the breakdown of their highest degree held was: 69% with a doctorate, 23% with a master’s degree, 5% with a bachelor’s degree, and the remaining 2% with either an associate degree, certificate, and/or licensure/endorsement. The majority of permanent faculty in Troth Yeddha’ Campus units have terminal degrees. The Faculty Blue Book, revised and approved by the ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Faculty Senate in 2019, specifies that the earned doctorate will be the minimum degree required for faculty appointment with academic rank. For appointments in which the doctorate is not the appropriate degree, ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ requires academic preparation as evidenced by appropriate advanced degrees (e.g., MFA or MLS). For faculty in vocational/technical fields at   for which there is no recognized degree, the requirement is a bachelor’s degree and/or appropriate licensure, certifications, and appropriate experience as reflected in their respective unit criteria.
Faculty duties are determined either by faculty with approval from the hiring manager or by the hiring manager, typically a dean or director, with faculty input, ensuring alignment with academic program needs and the United ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ – AAUP/AFT Collective Bargaining Agreement. In approving hires, the provost considers productivity and efficiency metrics such as program and course enrollment, average class size, research needs, and accreditation requirements.
ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ employed a total of 1,820 staff in the fall 2025 semester. Of those, 81% were regular staff and 92% of those individuals were full time. For temporary staff, 25% of those individuals were full time. There were 922 student employees during the fall 2025 semester, with 37% graduate students and 63% undergraduate students.
UA HR organizes staff position descriptions by the appropriate to provide for consistency and equity across departments. Supervisors review position descriptions when conducting employee performance evaluations, when duties and/or responsibilities change, and whenever a position is vacated. Many position descriptions have entered the revision process as a result. Job descriptions are updated as needed to reflect current duties and responsibilities, and an annual review is recommended alongside performance evaluations. All descriptions are maintained in the UA System’s PageUp software for easy access.
ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ employs an appropriate number of qualified faculty and staff to fulfill its mission, even though the number of employees in both groups have been reduced in the past several years due to university-wide budget cuts. In many cases, budget shortfalls were accommodated through attrition or not filling the positions of faculty and staff who departed or retired. As budgets continue to decline, special and expedited program reviews per have been used as a method to more strategically target faculty reductions so that strong and mission-centric programs continue to be sustainable.
Sufficient to establish and oversee academic policies. ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ’s organizational structure and commitment to shared governance ensure effective processes for establishing, reviewing, and overseeing its academic policies. Per the ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Faculty Senate , , and Academic Course and Degree Procedures Manual, academic policies are vetted through Faculty Senate committees, approved by the full senate, and then reviewed by the provost and, when appropriate, the chancellor. Most academic policies are published in the , while others are available on the Office of the Provost website. Academic Affairs (through the Office of the Provost) provides interpretations of academic policy, and the Office of the Registrar implements policy on a day-to-day basis. The Registrar’s Office includes staff who manage the publication of the catalog and class schedule, oversee the production of academic transcripts, and are responsible for degree auditing, awarding, and verification, among other responsibilities.
Sufficient to ensure the integrity and continuity of its academic programs. Through the ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Faculty Senate and established governance processes, faculty play a central role in designing, approving, implementing, and revising academic programs and policies. and provide the academic administrative framework to support this work, ensuring the integrity and continuity of academic programming.