How do you handle a big faculty turn-over?

[afjgnp]

Hi:

I worked as faculty at a four year college in the undergrad program. I left and now I am back as a lab coordinator. Since I have been gone(one semester), we have had a giant turn over in faculty or faculty teaching in their non specialty areas. I know it is hard to teach if you have no background in teaching(the college has no orientation program for new staff,however, program coordinators are good about communicating with each other). The students are VERY unhappy. They understand that faculty have left, however, they feel they are not getting the education they are paying for(faculty missing lectures, new faculty unsure of what they are teaching). I really love this college and would like to help in some way. Anything like this happen to anyone out there? If so, what did you do about it?

Thank you

[llg, PhD, RN]

This is something your administration has to deal with in a big way -- and there is probably little a lab coordinator can do other than to make sure that those above you in the hierarchy are aware of the problems. It sounds like the school has been badly run -- and they either need to do a major overhaul to fix the deep problems that caused the turnover, or close the program.