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.