A natural ability or power a person has, such as to think, see, or speak; or the teachers and professors at a school or college.
From Latin “facultas” meaning “power, ability, opportunity,” related to “facilis” meaning “easy” and “facere” meaning “to do.” It originally referred to the ability to do something.
Your faculties are the built‑in “powers” you have for doing things—like a mental toolset. The teachers at a university are called “faculty” because they are the professional “doers” and experts in their fields.
In academic contexts, 'faculty' historically referred to predominantly male teaching bodies, reflecting exclusion of women from universities and professorships. Gendered titles like 'chairman' or assumptions that faculty are male contributed to biased expectations.
Use 'faculty' as a neutral collective term and pair it with gender-neutral titles (e.g., 'chair', 'professor'); avoid assuming gender when referring to faculty members.
["academic staff","teaching staff","professors and instructors"]
When discussing the history of academic faculties, note the barriers women faced in obtaining positions and credit pioneering women scholars whose roles were marginalized.
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