Evaluations
Evaluations
The evaluation of the professional activities of all employees, in a public institution of higher education is essential to the maintenance of academic and professional standards of excellence. The purpose of professional evaluations shall be to encourage the improvement of individual professional performance and to provide a basis for decisions on reappointment, tenure and promotions. An evaluation of professional activities shall be based on total professional performance. Written evaluations shall be on file for all employees.
Evaluation of a member of the teaching faculty shall be based on total academic performance, with especial attention to teaching effectiveness, including, but not limited to, such elements as: classroom instruction and related activities; administrative assignments; research; scholarly writing; departmental, college and university assignments; student guidance; course and curricula development; creative works in individual’s discipline; and public and professional activities in field of specialty.
Annual Faculty Evaluations
Each faculty member of a department shall be evaluated annually by the Department Chairperson and the College Dean, including a review of continuing professional development and currency in one's academic field. The evaluation shall be done at the end of each academic year. Each faculty member shall prepare a report describing activities and accomplishments during the academic year to which the evaluation applies. The Department Chairperson shall be responsible for presenting to the Department Faculty Evaluation Committee all the annual activities reports together with the summaries of student evaluation of classroom teaching for faculty in the department. The individual's activities report shall be filed with the Department Chairperson by May 20. The Department Faculty Evaluation Committee shall take into account these reports and the summaries of student evaluations of teaching and shall prepare a written recommendation by May 30. The Department Chairperson shall consider the activities report, student evaluation of teaching, and the recommendation of the Department Faculty Evaluation Committee and shall complete the written annual faculty evaluation by June 10. In the case of faculty on full-year Sabbatical, the FAR (Faculty Activities Report) is not required to be submitted in order for the faculty member to be eligible for negotiated salary increases.
Student Course Evaluations
At the end of each course, students are given the opportunity to evaluate the course using a scan-sheet-questionnaire. Course evaluations are an important part of reappointment, tenure and promotion decisions. It is important to see that these are conducted.
Evaluation forms and scan-sheets are available in your department at the end of each semester.
Ultimately, it is the Chair's responsibility to share the results of the evaluation with faculty prior to having them filed in the faculty personnel file. All student evaluations are to be included in the candidate's tenure and promotion files.