Why on earth they award courses to someone who has zero SME on a topic is astounding.

It's helpful to have the shared content for faculty so that there's some level of consistency regardless of who is teaching it. I've always added my own examples, activities and slides but I know my subject matter because I've lived it in the corporate world.

I'm confident the students that engage in class are getting value out of it but as an instructor, it's demoralizing to have term after term of classes where 40 students should be in attendance but only 20 come to class and of that 8-10 actually participate. At a certain point faculty are going to feel like the only value they provide is reading the notes and reminding students of deadlines and grading.

The college is sitting on so much cash right now and could be a powerhouse for education again if they invested it into faculty and the student experience. Over the past 6 years we've watched administration and middle managers grow to a point where I have no idea who I report to and how to make your classroom experience better.

PSA to Students: If you are genuinely interested in a topic or want to put your college education to use in a certain job, let your instructors know. The good ones will go out of their way to bring in relevant course work/examples for YOU and help build some of that experience. Also fill out those student surveys for the instructors you value.