On-Going Evaluation of all Faculty
Faculty members will be evaluated annually or tri-annually, on the calendar year, based on their status at the end of the calendar year.
Tenure-track members of the Centre College faculty will be evaluated annually. After their first year, which is not evaluated for service or scholarship, each non-tenured faculty member’s performance is evaluated in each of the three areas defined in Performance Standards: effective teaching, scholarly and professional activity and achievement, and service to the College and community. Tenured faculty members will be evaluated every three years in these same three categories. 1 Non-tenure-track faculty members will be evaluated annually until their sixth year, after which they will be evaluated every three years.
The performance of all members of the faculty will be reviewed at a meeting attended by the President, the Dean of the College, the Associate Dean of the College, and the appropriate Division Chair. Tenure-track faculty members and non-tenure-track faculty members on renewable appointments subsequently receive a summary evaluation letter every year. Tenured faculty and non-tenure-track instructors who have been at Centre for six or more years will receive a letter every third year. These evaluations will be based principally on the annual Faculty Activity Summary (see Faculty Activity Summaries), Reflection on Student Learning forms, reports of classroom visits (non-tenured faculty only), one’s curriculum vitae, and other information a faculty member may provide.
In addition, as part of the tenure process, tenure-track members of the faculty will be evaluated by the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment and by the Dean of the College at the mid-point of their probationary period and during the year prior to the final year of pre-tenure probation.
Classroom Visits
Each untenured faculty member shall receive during each academic year at least three announced classroom visits by the Division Chair or by another faculty member designated by the Division Chair. At least one of these visits shall be made by the Division Chair. A written evaluation noting the date, nature, and results of each visit shall be made by the Division Chair or the faculty member designated by the Division Chair. A sample evaluation form for classroom visits is included in Appendix D: Evaluation Forms. Visitors may respond to the questions on a separate sheet.
Following the classroom visit, the visitor shall send a copy of the draft evaluation to the untenured faculty member for review. The untenured faculty member and the visitor shall meet in person for a follow-up conversation. The date of that conversation shall be recorded on the classroom visit form. After the meeting with the untenured faculty member, the visitor will have the option of revising the proposed evaluation. Within two weeks of the classroom visit, the visitor shall send copies of the final evaluation to the untenured faculty member and to the Division Chair, who shall promptly send a copy to the Dean’s assistant to distribute to the file and to the Associate Dean. The untenured faculty member may also choose to send comments on the final evaluation to the visitor and to the Division Chair, who shall promptly send a copy to the Dean of the College. A copy of the final evaluation and of any comments by the untenured faculty member on the final evaluation shall be placed in the untenured faculty member’s open file. These documents shall be read as part of the annual review, mid-probationary review, and tenure review.
For the 2020-21 academic year, each untenured faculty member may request two or three announced teaching observations by the Division Chair or by another faculty member designated by the Division Chair. An untenured faculty member shall have no more than two visits in a single term and at most one class visit during Fall Term 2020. Prior to the class visit, the untenured faculty member and the visitor shall identify an appropriate observation opportunity, discuss the overall course structure, the instructor’s learning goals and teaching strategies, and overall student learning in the course. The untenured faculty member shall provide the visitor with a syllabus and, as appropriate, may add the visitor to the course Moodle page so that they can see how students are engaging with the material asynchronously. Within two weeks after the class visit, the visitor shall complete the 2020-21 Class Visit Form and send a draft version to the untenured faculty member for review, after which the untenured faculty member and the visitor shall have a conversation. The date of that conversation shall be recorded on the 2020-21 Class Visit Form and, after the meeting with the untenured faculty member, the visitor has the option of revising the draft form. Within three weeks of the class visit, the visitor shall send a final evaluation to the untenured faculty member and to the Division Chair, who shall promptly send a copy to the Dean’s assistant to distribute to the untenured faculty member’s file and to the Associate Dean. The untenured faculty member may also choose to send comments on the final evaluation to the the Division Chair, and the Associate Dean. A copy of the final evaluation and of any comments by the untenured faculty member on the final evaluation shall be placed in the untenured faculty member’s file. These documents shall be read as part of the annual review, mid-probationary review, and tenure review.
Evaluation of Service to the College and Community
The faculty are the stewards of the College. Part of that stewardship involves contributing to the life and mission of the College through service. Not everyone will find the same ways to serve the college; however, everyone should find some way to do it.
After the first year, tenure-track faculty members will be evaluated for service annually. Tenured faculty members will be evaluated every three years for service. Non-tenure-track faculty members in renewable positions, following their first year, will be evaluated each year for service for their first six years and every third year afterwards. Part-time faculty will typically not be evaluated for service.
Service will be evaluated as Meets Expectations, Exceeds Expectations, Of Concern, or Does Not Meet Expectations. It is assumed that most faculty members will Meet or Exceed Expectations. Evaluation of service will normally be based on faculty self-reporting on the Faculty Activity Summary. The rating of Meets Expectations is based on the definition of Service to the College and Community in the Performance Standards section of the Faculty Handbook:
A faculty member’s service to the College and campus community will be evaluated in terms of and their contributions to the College through advising, committee work, administrative assignments, and other service work such as sponsorship of student organizations, organization of convocations, and similar activities. Contributions to the larger professional academic community, and to the local off-campus community, shall be taken into account insofar as they pertain to the purposes of the College and to the individual's professional responsibility.
Service on standing committees of the faculty and college council, search committees, advising and other contributions such as sponsorship of student organizations and organization of convocations are expected of all faculty members and will normally Meet Expectations. Service on ad hoc committees likewise comes in the ordinary course of membership on the faculty and will normally Meet Expectations.
A rating of Exceeds Expectations will normally involve one or more of the following: membership on an elected committee that requires a large commitment of time and a high degree of responsibility; chairing search committees or regular committees; voluntary contribution to standard or ad hoc committees that goes substantially beyond the normal demands of that committee; direction of long term study away programs; and/or voluntary, sometimes hidden, contributions to the life of the college that have a demonstrable impact on the life of the community. Such contributions may involve the mentoring of new faculty and advising of students that go well beyond normal expectations. To Exceed Expectations through unique contributions to the College that are outside of the general administrative structure, faculty are required to explain their activity on the Faculty Activity Summary.
Contributions to the larger professional academic community that do not qualify as scholarship may help a faculty member Meet Expectations, and in rare cases such as serving as an officer of a professional organization or planning an academic conference may earn a rating of Exceeds Expectations for service.
The rating Of Concern will reflect a decline in service to below the level of Meets Expectations in a given review period, and will invite a conversation with the division chair and/or associate dean.
A faculty member who Does Not Meet Expectations will be someone who persistently declines normal opportunities for service, repeatedly impedes productive committee work, or who does not fulfill the basic obligations of committee membership over an extended period of time
Evaluation of Teaching
Tenure-track faculty will be evaluated for teaching effectiveness annually. They will have all their courses reviewed by students, who will complete a Reflection on Student Learning Form. For their first three years, they will have at least five courses reviewed by students, and after a successful mid-probationary review, they will have at least four courses reviewed by the students. Tenure-track faculty will select courses to be evaluated after having the opportunity to look at student comments. If they do not make a selection by the deadline, the Associate Dean will decide which courses are evaluated. The Reflection on Student Learning Form can be found in Appendix D.
Tenured faculty members will have at least two classes reviewed each year. Each faculty member will have the opportunity to choose which courses they would like to have reviewed by their students. If they do not make a selection by the midpoint of the semester, the Associate Dean will decide which courses are evaluated. Faculty members who are in phased retirement will not have their courses reviewed.
Full-time non-tenure-track faculty members will have at least four of their classes reviewed each year until they have been at Centre for six years, and then at least two courses will be evaluated annually thereafter. Part-time non-tenure-track faculty will have at least half of their classes reviewed, as selected by the Associated Dean.
Teaching will be rated as Exceeds Expectations; Meets Expectations; Of Concern; Does Not Meet Expectations. Faculty members do not have to earn ratings of Exceeds Expectations to be awarded tenure and/or promotion. Meets Expectations is based on the definition of Effective Teaching in the Performance Standards section of the Faculty Handbook:
Effective teaching involves caring for students as people; stimulating interest in the area of study; promoting students' mastery of the facts, theories, and methods; encouraging students to learn independently and/or collaboratively; helping students improve skills in thinking, writing, and speaking; assisting students in identifying and clarifying the values that infuse learning; and encouraging students to become creative, responsible members of society.
In teaching, the faculty member shall exhibit high professional and personal standards of performance and shall demand high standards of performance from students. There is no one path to effective teaching; candidates for tenure and promotion may demonstrate success through a wide range of practices. The College shall utilize the best Faculty-approved evaluation procedures it can devise to provide a sound basis upon which to make judgments about effective teaching.
It is assumed that the majority of Centre’s faculty members’ teaching will Meet Expectations most of the time. If, in the judgment of the evaluators, a significant proportion of the students indicate that the course led to unusually transformative, inspirational, and/or challenging experiences, that course will be judged to Exceed Expectations.
The rating Of Concern will indicate that a significant proportion of the students suggested that at least one area of teaching was not effective, including but not limited to Organization, Responsiveness to Students, Inclusiveness, and Clarity of Expectations.
The rating Does Not Meet Expectations will indicate that a significant proportion of the students expressed serious concerns that more than two areas of teaching were not effective, including but not limited to Organization, Responsiveness to Students, Inclusiveness, and Clarity of Expectations.
For all faculty members, teaching will be evaluated on the basis of the faculty member’s personal reflection in the Faculty Activity Summary and the Reflection on Learning Experience forms filled out by the students. Additionally, class visits by peers will be taken into account for tenure-track faculty and non-tenure-track faculty teaching at the college for fewer than six years.
The Division Chairs will read the students’ Reflections on Learning Experiences for all faculty members. The Associate Dean will read Reflections on Learning Experiences for tenure-track faculty members, and those evaluations of tenured, visiting, and part-time faculty tagged by Division Chairs as being Of Concern or Does Not Meet Expectations, or for the purpose of special recognition. Division Chairs and the Associate Dean will receive training to establish consistency and avoid bias in reading student reflections.
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1 If the College changes its policy so that Associate Professors can apply for Full after six years, this policy needs to be revisited. The faculty should consider whether Associate Professors should have two cycles of review before applying for Full.
Faculty Activity Summaries
Early in December of each year, the Dean of the College will send to every faculty member a form on which the latter will record activities of the preceding calendar year in the areas of teaching, scholarly and professional activity and achievement, and service to the College and community, along with a current curriculum vitae and a statement of professional goals. Although tenured faculty are only evaluated every three years, they will complete and submit a FAS each year. The deadline for returning the completed form to the Dean with a copy to the Division Chair shall be early in the Spring Term. Copies of completed activity summaries shall be placed in the faculty member's Open File. The FAS form is included in Appendix D.
Evaluation of Scholarly and Professional Activity and Achievement
After the first year, tenure-track faculty members will be evaluated for Scholarly and Professional Activity and Achievement annually. Tenured faculty members will be evaluated every three years. Non-tenure-track faculty members in renewable positions will be evaluated each year for their first six years and every third year afterwards.
Scholarly and Professional Activity and Achievement will be rated as Exceeds Expectations; Meets Expectations; Of Concern; Does Not Meet Expectations. Faculty will normally have at least one Scholarly or Professional Achievement by the time they come up for tenure and at least one more by the time they come up for promotion to full professor.
The rating of Meets Expectations is based on the definition of Scholarly and Professional Activity and Achievement in the Performance Standards section of the Faculty Handbook:
Scholarly and professional activity includes research, writing, and other creative endeavors; the presentation of work, performances, and exhibits; collaborative research with students; participation in scholarly seminars and institutes, and attendance at professional meetings; or other activities, such as professional consulting, advising professional organizations, and holding membership or offices in professional organizations.
It is assumed that that the majority of faculty members’ work will Meet Expectations most of the time. There should be no penalty for those working on large-scale projects taking several (or even many) years to complete. On the Faculty Activity Summary, faculty members will be asked to show evidence of progress. Such evidence, which could consist of links to chapter drafts or conference presentations, will meet Centre College’s expectations for Scholarly and Professional Activity.
Conducting research with undergraduates, outside the classroom, will meet the college’s expectations for Scholarly and Professional Activity.
A rating of Exceeds Expectations will require Scholarly and Professional Achievement, that is, peer-reviewed publication or the equivalent. Each faculty member will explain the significance of any publications in the Faculty Activity Summary. Since these assessments are discipline specific, reviewers will rely on the faculty member’s assessment for annual and triennial reviews; on colleagues’ judgment in probationary and tenure reviews; and on outside reviewers’ testimony for promotion to full professor if deemed necessary by the Special committee on Promotions.
The rating Of Concern will indicate an absence of activity in a given year and will invite a conversation with the division chair and/or associate dean. A rating of Does Not Meet Expectations will reflect persistent absence of activity over an extended period of time.
As is implied in the language defining Achievement in the section on Scholarly and Professional Activity and Achievement of the Faculty Handbook, faculty members under review for tenure should typically receive a rating of Exceeds Expectations at least once, indicating peer reviewed publication or the equivalent. If they have nothing to indicate evidence of progress after three years, they could be rated Of Concern or Does Not Meet Expectations. Promotion to full professor will normally include at least one rating of Exceeds Expectations, demonstrating, as required for tenure, peer reviewed publication or the equivalent.
Open File
An open file for each faculty member is available through Moodle and will be used at the time of mid-probationary review, tenure, and promotion review by the Committee on Tenure & Reappointment or Special Committee on Promotions, Division Chairs, Dean of the College, and the Associate Dean. During the review period, items can not be added to the Open File unless authorized by the Associate Dean and the Chair of the committee. On May 1 after the review is complete, access to the Open File is given back to the faculty member. The open file shall contain the following:
- a current curriculum vitae;
- a statement by the Faculty member, written at the time of the mid-probationary, tenure, and promotion reviews, in which he or she describes his or her achievements and future goals as a teacher and scholar, and amplifies or explains any of the materials in the open file. The statement should contain an ample and candid assessment of the professional significance of any publications and/or presentations;
- annual Faculty Activity Summaries;
- course evaluation summaries;
- sample syllabi and paper/project assignments submitted at the discretion of the Faculty member;
- reports of classroom visits;
- materials relating to the faculty member's scholarly and professional activity and achievement—articles, publicity, grant proposals submitted to external funding agencies, grant awards, etc. This should include all final reports from any sabbatical leaves, Stodghill awards, FDC grants, annual reports from those holding endowed professorships, as well as a summary of accomplishments resulting from any other outside grants; and,
- reports of the annual and mid-probationary reviews, as applicable.
Closed File
A closed file for each member of the Faculty on regular appointment shall be accessible via Moodle and available to the Dean of the College and the President. At the time of the mid-probationary, tenure, and promotion reviews, the closed file is also available to members of the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment or the Special Committee on Promotions, as appropriate for the review. It shall contain the following confidential items, which shall be collected by the Dean of the College at the time of the mid-probationary, tenure, and promotion reviews:
- evaluations from members of the faculty member’s program and from other colleagues who can assess his or her work; and
- letters solicited from current and former students, the Division Chair, and the Associate Dean.
- past letters from the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment with their recommendations of the candidates.
For promotion to full Professor, the Special Subcommittee on Promotions may request letters from outside scholars who are able to judge the faculty member’s professional or scholarly work. Any such letters shall be placed in the closed file. (See Appendix B: By-Laws of the Centre College Faculty, 6c.)
The contents of the open and closed files provide the basis for the assessment of each faculty member. As part of its responsibility to assure a fair and thorough evaluation for mid-probationary, tenure, and promotion reviews, the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment and the Special Subcommittee on Promotions may consult with the faculty member, the Dean of the College, or other persons.