The Neeley School of Business is the largest college at TCU, but with the demand increase, concerns have surfaced.
With 3,215 enrolled undergraduate students, Neeley students make up 29% of TCU’s total undergraduate student population, according to institutional research.
“Neeley has capacity constraints,” Lynn Muller, the assistant dean of undergraduate studies, said. “It has seen a 32% increase in students in the last five years, but the increase in faculty has been very small.”
The solution seems clear: hire more faculty, but there is a catch. Neeley lacks the essential office space to accommodate new faculty members, Muller said. If these roles remain understaffed, scheduling strains could arise for students.
“A lot of students choose classes based on the professor, not necessarily the class itself,” said Jack Storer, a sophomore finance major. “A lot of classes fill up quickly, so they have to take night classes when they have prior commitments, and they will not be able to balance both.” Storer is a member of the BNSF Neeley Leadership Program, which meets outside class time.
Neeley plans to hire more faculty members soon to combat the Neeley enrollment increase and address student concerns, Tiara Richard, the Neeley director of communications, said.
The capacity constraints also stir questions about safeguarding Neeley’s accreditation as an accreditation adjustment could affect Neeley’s high ranking in business school publications, which could in turn affect enrollment and hiring.
Just last month, Neeley was named among the top 25 undergraduate business schools in the U.S. and No. 1 in Texas, according to Poets&Quants.
Finding a balance is critical for the continual success of Neeley, but some more critical issues have been avoided.
“Students may not always get classes at their preferred times or in their preferred semesters, but to my knowledge, no student has ever had to delay graduation because they were unable to enroll in a required class within Neeley,” Richard said.
Despite undergraduate enrollment rates increasing, Neeley leaders strive to keep the school’s accreditation and ensure undergraduate students graduate in four years.
