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POLICY ON STUDENT EVALUATION OF TEACHING

 

(This policy supersedes Policy Statements 12-02 and 80-01.)

This policy statement was recommended by the Academic Senate on May 4, 2017 and approved by the President on June 6, 2017.

1.0         Purpose

Student evaluations of teaching provide information to evaluate and improve instructional effectiveness. The Student Perception of Teaching (SPOT) instrument provides data for Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion (RTP), Evaluation of Tenured Faculty (ETF), Lecturer Evaluations, and Range Elevation decisions. The information shall be used as one element of assessing instructional effectiveness, but not as the sole indicator of such effectiveness.

2.0         Scope and Frequency

All classes with a C classification and six or more students shall be evaluated. The Department may also vote to require evaluation of specified courses. If a Department does require these evaluations, they shall be uniformly required of all faculty. Faculty members may choose to evaluate any other of their classes.

3.0         Instrumentation

The instrument for student evaluation of teaching shall include

1.           a common set of closed-ended items to be used by all faculty members and

2.           a common set of open-ended items to be used by all faculty members.

Colleges, departments, or programs may select an additional common set of items to evaluate all faculty members in that college, department, or program.

The Faculty Personnel Policy Council (FPPC) shall select the common items from nationally recognized, valid, and reliable item pools. The FPPC is responsible for creating instructions for using the instrument, items, and/or item banks. FPPC should review the instrument and the item pool every five years and report review outcomes to the Academic Senate.

4.0         Access

The summarized results of closed-ended items and the complete verbatim responses to open-ended questions shall be given to the instructor rand the department chair. The department chair shall review the open-ended questions for the primary purpose of formative evaluation. The department chair may discuss areas of concern with the instructor. The department chair may also notify the dean of concerns when the department chair determines it is appropriate to do so. When notified, the dean shall investigate the concerns and take action if necessary.

Access to the summarized results of closed-ended items shall be limited to the faculty member evaluated, and all persons authorized by the faculty member, appropriate personnel committees, and department chair. College deans and directors may have access to these data when required by official University business. The summarized results of closed-ended items shall be placed in the faculty personnel files maintained in the Office of the Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs.

5.0         Administration

Student evaluations must be administered by non-faculty without the faculty member present and during the last three (3) weeks of instruction in each semester. Evaluation shall be conducted under conditions that allow students to evaluate freely and thoughtfully the instructor's teaching effectiveness. Confidentiality must be maintained.

 

EFFECTIVE: Immediately