4.0 Faculty Evaluation

Faculty Evaluation

1. Faculty Performance Criteria and Evaluation Model

   Faculty performance criteria at Missouri State University-West Plains are based on the purpose and mission of the institution. The campus mission is:  Missouri State University-West Plains empowers students to achieve personal success and to enrich their local and global communities.  As a two-year public institution, we provide acccessible, affordable, and quality educational opportunities.

   To this end faculty members are expected to be actively engaged in teaching, professional activity and community and campus service throughout their careers. See Section 4.2 for general criteria for 1) teaching, 2) professional activity and 3) service.

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2. Evaluation of Ranked Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty

   Faculty members are expected to be actively engaged in teaching, professional activity, (scholarship, research and/or creative activity) and service throughout their careers, but the campus recognizes that, at different times, faculty members may shift emphasis from one category to another as stated in the annual Faculty Goals, Objectives and Professional Development Agreement form. It is generally expected that during the probationary period the emphasis should be on teaching and service.

   1. Teaching

      1. Teaching Mission

         The teaching mission at Missouri State University-West Plains is to develop educated persons. In doing so, the campus is committed to standards of excellence and academic integrity. An educated person:

         • is someone who is literate in the broadest sense,
         • has an appreciation of the responsibility of lifelong citizenship and an awareness of global issues,
         • seeks solutions to problems by means of a broad base of knowledge, as well as in-depth mastery of at least one specific academic discipline,
         • has the skills and motivation to continue to learn after leaving the University, thus being prepared for both lifelong learning and lifelong productivity.

         In support of developing educated persons, the campus seeks to provide high-quality education that is accessible to a broad spectrum of individuals, including those facing challenges involving distance, income or disability. Furthermore, in recognizing the value of an open and free exchange of ideas, Missouri State University promotes diversity in all of its forms as a means to provide a wide variety of sources of knowledge and perspectives.

      2. Goals and Criteria for Evaluating Teaching

         The following goals and criteria are the basis of evaluating faculty members' teaching effectiveness for tenure and promotion and for required performance reviews (refer to Section 4.2.1.3 for recommended methods of documenting teaching effectiveness). Please note that item 1 below is of paramount importance on this list and that any faculty member, in order to succeed as a teacher at Missouri State University-West Plains, must succeed in the areas of item 1 relevant to his or her teaching. Although items 2 a, b and c, are not individually prescriptive, they are inclusive of teaching and may be considered.

         1. Developing Educated Persons

            Success in this area both describes successful teaching at this University and is a prerequisite for tenure and promotion

            1. Faculty members meet this goal when they demonstrate their effectiveness in cultivating students' knowledge base and skills both basic and specialized within a specific discipline.
            2. Faculty should strive to make explicit the relationship between the general education curriculum and various disciplinary curricula so students can integrate their acquired knowledge and skills for lifelong application.
            3. Evidence of continuing professional development also contributes to this goal.

         2. Exceptional Modes or Qualities of Teaching

            1. Outstanding Performance as a Classroom Teacher

               Beyond basic effectiveness as a teacher, outstanding performance may be evidenced by judgments made by students, peers, administrators and colleagues with appropriate academic expertise. Further evidence may include external recognition for outstanding preparation of students for professional fields and students receiving external recognition for outstanding work produced in the course.

               Such evidence may also include noteworthy research work done with students, noteworthy work in student advisement and internal or external grants to support innovative teaching.

            2. Experiential Learning

               While it is expected that all of our teaching efforts contribute to developing citizen scholars, special efforts in this regard may be used to meet this goal. Faculty should provide evidence of service learning components in their courses or provide evidence for other structured activities that apply the course material to social issues, problems, tasks or enhancement.

            3. Accessibility

               The criterion for this goal refers to efforts to increase accessibility to education beyond one's typical assignments. These may include, but are not limited to, offering distance learning, online courses, public lectures or workshops, working with the community and public schools in providing access to education, developing educational materials that address accessibility issues.

            4. Diversity

               Special efforts to bring diversity to students' educational experience might include inviting guest speakers who offer diverse viewpoints, taking students to locations where they will be exposed to an unfamiliar environment and requiring students to seek out diversity as part of their course requirements.

      3. Documenting Teaching Effectiveness

         There are two primary components to documenting teaching effectiveness: Instructor inputs and student outcomes. Everything that contributes to or derives from a teaching/learning experience should address one or more of the criteria above. The following table identifies input/ output elements and possible sources for documentation. The table below is not prescriptive, but offers faculty examples of ways to document teaching effectiveness. Divisions/departments can refine these suggestions as appropriate for specific disciplines and a faculty member's specific job assignment.

         Inputs and Outcomes	Documentation
         Instructor Inputs (developing educated persons)
         Clear identification of outcome goals in terms of knowledge and skills	Syllabi and assignment statements
         Clear identification of relevance of courses to both major study and general education	Syllabi and assignment statements
         Practiced and pedagogically informed delivery of course content	Teaching portfolio, evidence of professional development, peer evaluations
         Up-to-date content and materials	Syllabi, sample materials (with explanatory narrative in dossier), curricular grants, development of new courses
         Quality organization of course and diligence in application	Syllabi, sample assignments, peer evaluations, student evaluations
         Appropriately rigorous expectations	Syllabi statements, quantity and quality of reading, writing and performance assignments
         Time, energy and effectiveness	Teaching portfolio, peer evaluations, student evaluations
         Instructor Inputs (exceptional modes or qualities of teaching)	Opportunities for out-of-class application
         Description of out-of-class activities, including service learning, field work, etc.	Special access opportunities such as distance-learning delivery
         Syllabi and/ or descriptions of alternative delivery methods/courses	Special efforts to diversify student experiences
         Description of diversification objectives and efforts	Student Outcomes (all goals)
         Majority of students make progress on knowledge and skill objectives from baseline starting point	Aggregate information on pre/post knowledge and/ or skill performance by students in each class (example: 10% of students were able to identify Renaissance art at beginning of semester, 75% by end)
         Majority of students understand goals and relevance of courses, regardless of performance level	Student evaluations
         Students receive external recognition for work produced in course	External letters, awards, commendations, reviews, news stories, etc.
         Faculty member receives direct external recognition for preparation of students	External letters, awards, commendations, reviews, news stories, etc.

   2. Professional Activity (Scholarship, Research and/or Creative Activity)

      Scholarship, research and creative activities each hold equal value in advancing the mission of Missouri State University-West Plains. A blend of scholarship, discovery and of integration and application to teaching, is essential to the mission

      1. Scholarship

         Activities fulfilling faculty responsibility for scholarship include not only traditional scientific research and humanistic scholarship but also creative expression in the arts.

         Faculty members must be engaged in sustained scholarship that will assist them in maintaining competence in the material to be taught and that will contribute to the education and good of the students, peers and public. Beyond these basic requirements, scholarship may take many forms, including original research or creative expression (scholarship of discovery), review and integration of prior research (scholarship of integration), applying current knowledge and innovations to important practices (scholarship of application) or dialectical engagement of students in the process of inquiry and discovery (scholarship of teaching). In all types of scholarship, direct and indirect involvement of students teaches them about the process and inspires them to become ongoing participants.

         1. Goals and Criteria for Evaluating Scholarship

            Scholarship of Discovery: The scholarship of discovery is recognized as an essential element of the campus mission. Evidence of performance in this form of scholarship is valued both for tenure and for promotions. Examples include:

            • Scholarly monographs or books that advance understanding.
            • Original research findings published in scholarly journals.
            • Original artistic expression.
            • Successful grant applications for research/ creative activity.
            • Presentations of original research findings.

            Scholarship of Integration and Scholarship of Application: The scholarship of integration and the scholarship of application are recognized as essential elements of the campus mission and of every departmental mission. They may be the most appropriate forms of scholarship for some faculty members. Evidence of performance in these forms of scholarship is valued both for tenure and for promotions. Examples include but are not limited to:

            • Published textbook summarizing existing research.
            • Published professional or applied research journal articles.
            • Presentation of juried exhibits or performances.
            • Published literature reviews or position papers.
            • Published research protocols.
            • Published bibliographies.
            • Published critical reviews of scholarly projects.
            • Successful grant applications for applied research and performances.
            • Presentation of integrative or applied research.

            Scholarship of Teaching: The scholarship of teaching is recognized as an essential element of the campus mission. Every faculty member engaged in teaching at this institution must engage in this form of scholarship. Evidence of performance in this form of scholarship is necessary for those faculty with teaching assignments, but it alone is not sufficient for tenure and for promotions. Examples include but are not limited to:

            • Scholarly presentations to campus-based or community groups.
            • Critiquing one's own students or colleagues or consulting with community organizations.
            • Designing and refining media of expression.
            • Improving the effectiveness of one's own teaching through seeking and using peer and student feedback.
            • Assessing effectiveness of new learning technologies for teaching one's own courses.
            • Preparing, compiling and disseminating custom texts, reading packages and/or ancillary materials for one's own courses.
            • Successful grant applications for developing or enhancing one's own courses.

            (Note: Activities such as developing or assessing curricula for a larger audience than one's own students, developing educational resources for use by other educators, observing and analyzing student behaviors and/or student teacher interactions outside of one's own classroom and assessing effectiveness of new educational methods or technologies outside of one's own classroom may qualify as scholarship of discovery, scholarship of integration or scholarship of application.)

      2. Research

         The process of research is understood as the production and formal communication of original creative, scholarly work and, while the definitions of "scholarly" and "creative" may differ across academic disciplines, the process is understood to support the campus's general mission in all three fundamental areas of faculty responsibility: teaching, professional activity and service. Research both advances knowledge in a particular specialized academic field and encourages individual faculty development; it enhances the quality of education students receive.

         Research at Missouri State University-West Plains includes activities designed to produce one or more outcomes such as the discovery organization and application of knowledge. The scope of research activities encompasses individual faculty research and departmental research programs.

         Missouri State University-West Plains does not have an emphasis on research. So while the campus encourages faculty to engage in academic research we also recognize scholarship and creative activity for purposes of fulfilling the overall professional activity mission of the campus.

         1. Goals and Criteria for Evaluating Research

            The following goals and criteria are the basis of evaluating faculty members' research for tenure and promotion and for required performance reviews.

            1. Expand knowledge and/or demonstrate growth in area of expertise
            2. Application of research to benefit campus constituents
            3. Special effort to share knowledge and creative work with a broader audience.
            4. Involvement of students

      3. Creative Activity

         Creative works in areas such as music, drama, art and literature are essential for sustaining the cultural role of Missouri State University-West Plains. Creative activities also include the enhancement of teaching effectiveness.

         1. Goals and Criteria for Evaluating Creative Activity

            The following goals and criteria are the basis of evaluating faculty members' creative activity for tenure and promotion and for required performance reviews. In the creative and performing arts, peer review and recognition through exhibitions, concerts, prizes and awards set a similar kind of standard to the kind of recognition another faculty member will achieve through publication in a prestigious journal.

            1. Expand knowledge and/or demonstrate growth in area of expertise
            2. Application of creative activities to benefit campus constituents
            3. Special effort to share knowledge and creative work with a broader audience.
            4. Involvement of students.

   3. Service

      1. Service Mission

         Faculty service at Missouri State University serves three purposes: to support the academic tradition of shared governance, to support the professional and organizational needs of the disciplines and to bring the products of campus work to the public for its benefit.

      2. Goals and criteria for Evaluating Service

         The following goals and criteria are the basis of evaluating faculty members' service for tenure and promotion and for required performance reviews. Item 1 below is of paramount importance on this list and any faculty member, in order to succeed in the area of service at Missouri State University-West Plains, must succeed in item 1. Although items 2, 3 and 4 are not individually prescriptive, they are inclusive of service and may be considered.

         1. University Citizenship

            In the interest of maintaining broad participation in the decision-making process at the campus, faculty should recognize their responsibilities to the organization and contribute fairly to the task of shared-governance. This includes, but is not limited to, service on program, departmental, division and University committees and task forces. In so doing, faculty members increase the level of self-determination in their ranks.

            Service activities supporting campus citizenship may also include collaborations and contributions for the collegiate well-being such as providing professional development, participating in campus discussions and expanding opportunities for shaping the learning environment.

         2. Professional Service

            The criterion for this goal refers to contributions to professional organizations within the faculty member's field. Professional association participation may include serving as a board member, associate dean, officer, editor, reviewer, committee member, etc. Additionally, this may include sponsoring an active student organization, mentoring or advising or providing opportunities for student experiences outside the expectations of teaching.

         3. Public Service

            Faculty members meet this goal when they provide evidence of using their professional skills and expertise to serve community, state, national or international public constituents. This may take the form of op eds or other articles in newspapers or other print media or on television or radio, etc. In this way, faculty members not only further the mission of public outreach, but also serve as models for their students who are encouraged to engage in similar activities.

         4. Professional Consultation

            Faculty members may meet this goal by providing evidence of providing professional expertise to business, industry, schools, community organizations and colleagues in other University programs. Consultation services to external constituents within the faculty member's professional expertise may be included in this area.

3. Faculty Duties and Responsibilities

   1. Faculty Duties and Responsibilities

      Duties and responsibilities of ranked faculty members at Missouri State University-West Plains fall into three broad categories: (1) teaching, (2) professional activity (scholarship, research and creative activity) and (3) University and community service. These duties and responsibilities shall be performed in accordance with standards of professional ethics stated in section 3.2. Because the primary mission of the campus is to provide its students with a quality educational experience, the primary responsibility of the faculty is teaching.

      Faculty are expected to keep abreast of developments in their respective fields and to transmit that knowledge to their students. Teaching responsibilities also entail meeting classes regularly, being available to students in conference, serving as academic advisors and keeping accurate records of student achievement.

      Faculty with diverse talents, skills and interests are expected to meet the mission of the campus, the goals and objectives of the academic unit and the approved departmental and individual responsibilities and goals. Their time obligations include actual classroom experience along with preparation for lectures and laboratories, out-of-class teaching, assignments, specialized roles within a department and various academic and public affairs assignments that are inherent in a learning environment and within the community.

      To fulfill these time-consuming and diverse responsibilities requires flexibility in assignment. So that all faculty are provided time for expected levels of scholarship and various involvements in campus and community affairs, variations in assignments, negotiated at the division level and consistent with the missions of the campus, college and department should be made.

      The flexibility in workload during the pre-tenure period should be negotiated carefully so as not to hinder faculty development in teaching, scholarship/research/creative activity or University and community service. The quality of the contributions in all areas is a factor for positive tenure and promotion decisions.

      As the availability of resources and reassigned time grows and consistent with the mission of Missouri State University-West Plains, faculty are expected to become more active professionally beyond those activities directly associated with teaching. As members of academic departments/divisions, faculty are expected to participate in division meetings and to attend Faculty Senate meetings. Faculty are also expected to serve on faculty and administrative committees. Finally, faculty are expected to serve the academic, professional and civic communities with their expertise.

   2. Teaching

      1. Teaching Load/Work Load

         Prior to the fall semester of 2019, the traditional teaching load for full-time ranked faculty of the Missouri State University System was a total of 24 credit hours each academic year for the standard nine-month appointment. This teaching load was combined with 6 equated hours* allocated for maintaining currency in one's field, advising duties, and normal department and university service activities for a total workload of 30 hours**.

         The workload for all full-time ranked faculty of Missouri State University — West Plains first employed in fall 2019 and thereafter will increase to 30 credit hours of teaching each academic year plus 6 equated hours allocated for maintaining currency in one's field, advising duties, and normal department and university service activities for a total workload of 36 hours. These faculty members will be eligible to teach overloads as described in section 5.7; all faculty are eligible to teach during the summer semester as describe in section 5.7.

         Ranked Faculty employed full-time previous to fall 2019 have the following options:

         1. opt in to this new teaching load of 30 credit hours. This teaching load will be combined with the 6 equated hours for a total workload of 36 hours. These faculty members will receive a 5% increase in their annual salary and will be eligible to teach overloads as described in section 5.7. See section 7.6.3 for information regarding possible release time.
         2. opt out of the 30-hour teaching load and maintain their original teaching load of 24 hours combined with the 6 equated hours for a total workload of 30 hours. These faculty members will not receive the additional compensation that accompanies the increase of teaching load from 24 hours to 30 hours, and they will not be eligible to teach overloads. However, these faculty may still teach during the summer semester and receive compensation as described in section 5.7.

         *The term "equated hours" refers to activities that are equivalent to credit hours of teaching.

         **This 30 hours denotes contact hours only, and it is understood across academia that contact hours are inherently accompanied by numerous hours of preparation, evaluation, and documentation. Previous sections of this handbook outline the various expectations of teaching, professional activity, and service.

      2. Meeting Classes

         Faculty members are expected to meet their classes or to see that suitable arrangements have been made for learning experiences for their students in the case of a required absence of the instructor because of unusual circumstances or because of a professional meeting. When the instructor is unable to meet a class because of illness, he or she must call the office of academic affairs and make arrangements to notify his or her classes concerning the cancellation of classes and new assignments or to make other arrangements for the classes that will be missed.

      3. Policy Statement and Course Outline (Syllabus)

         Within the first week of classes the faculty member shall issue a written policy statement, in print or in electronic form, to each student summarizing the following:

         1. Purpose: A statement of the general content of the course.
         2. Course Objectives: A list of measurable and desirable outcomes to be achieved upon successful completion of the course.
         3. Attendance Policy: A statement of attendance policy consistent with that of the campus and the policies regarding late arrival and early departure. Refer to https://wp.missouristate.edu/catalog/policy-attendance.htm.
         4. Academic Integrity Policy: A statement concerning the policies concerning plagiarism and cheating, including consequences. Refer to the student academic integrity policies and procedures, https://wp.missouristate.edu/catalog/policy-academic-integrity.htm.
         5. Textbooks: A list of textbooks and other sources to be used for the course and whether they are recommended or required reading.
         6. Test Dates: A statement concerning the announcement of test dates and the test dates if known. If the dates are unknown, approximations should be offered.
         7. Examinations: A general idea of the material to be covered on each exam.
         8. Grading Scale: A statement of the grading policy to be used in the course.
         9. Term Papers: (if applicable) A statement of the dates that term papers are due and general criteria used to determine how the papers will be graded.
         10. Final Exam: A statement as to whether the final will be comprehensive or not and a general idea of the subject matter to be covered.
         11. Makeups: A statement of how or if makeups will be allowed for exams, papers or other assignments.
         12. All University policies as documented in the Master Syllabus which can be found at the following site: https://wp.missouristate.edu/academics/mastersyllabus.htm
         13. Cell Phone Policy: A statement consistent with campus policy.
         14. Course policy statements must be on file in the office of academic affairs each semester.

      4. Review of Graded Work

         After an examination prepared by a faculty member or any written paper has been graded, the test or paper is to be made available to the student so that the student can observe where he or she has succeeded or failed.

      5. Class Records

         All faculty members must keep an accurate account of grades and attendance so that he or she will have factual information for a fair evaluation of each student. Student's grades are not to be posted publicly. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) forbids release of educational records unless authorized by statue. Contact the office of academic affairs for current policy.

      6. Policies Concerning Student Grades

         Evaluation of student performance and assignment of final course grades are the responsibility of the faculty. If there are extenuating circumstances by which a student is unable to complete a small portion of the course, the teacher has the prerogative to assign an incomplete 'I' grade. The student must then complete all make-up work during the next semester of enrollment or the grade automatically reverts to an 'F'. Once the student has completed the necessary work, the faculty will prepare a Grade Change Authorization form and submit it to the office of registration and records.

         It is not an acceptable practice for students to be allowed to earn extra credit after the semester is finished and final grades have been submitted.

         It is not an acceptable practice for a member of the administration, faculty or staff to try to petition a faculty member to change a student grade.

         Any changes to final grades must be handled through the procedure outlined in the course catalog.

   3. Student Advisement

      Student advisement is the process of assisting the student in negotiating the curriculum in order to achieve his/her educational goals. The process also involves aiding the student in thinking through and arriving at educational goals based on an understanding of what higher education is and how it relates to all areas of the individual's life, including his/her vocation.

      The Office of Advising and Academic Support will initiate advising for each student, but all faculty members are expected to assist in the advisement process through normal contacts with students both in the classroom and in the office. Faculty members will also be assigned individual student advisees for whom they share a particular responsibility for advisement throughout the students' experience at Missouri State University-West Plains. Faculty members are expected to be knowledgeable of essential aspects of the curriculum and procedures of the campus in order to provide accurate and timely advice to students. Advising and Academic Support serves as a resource for faculty regarding advising.

      In the advisement process, faculty members may not make representations or commitments which are inconsistent with authorized campus policies.

   4. Office Hours

      Office hours are times when faculty are available for direct consultation with students who are in their classes and with advisees. Availability for office hours usually implies presence in an office but, following departmental norms and consent of their Associate Dean, may be satisfied by other means, e.g., electronic consultation. All full-time faculty members must be available for office hours a minimum of five hours each week at times convenient for students. Per-Course faculty must also be accessible for student inquiry. The office hours must be posted in a place where students can see the notice and make plans to confer with the teacher. Faculty members are encouraged to accommodate students who cannot appear during the regular office hours because of schedule conflicts. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the appropriate Associate Dean.

   5. Access to and Release of Student Academic Records

      The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects against a policy or practice of permitting the release of education records of students, except for directory information or as otherwise specifically authorized by the statute. "Education records" do not include records of instructional, supervisory and administrative personnel in the sole possession of the maker of the record and not accessible or revealed to any other individual. Disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records of a student requires written consent, signed and dated, specifying the records to be disclosed, the purpose or purposes of the disclosure and the party or parties to whom the disclosure can be made. Disclosure may be made without written consent to other University officials who have been determined by the Administration to have legitimate educational interests. The dean of academic affairs should be consulted before any disclosure of education records. Grades are not to be posted using personally identifiable descriptors such as name or social security number or any portion of the social security number.

      For purposes of FERPA, whenever a student at Missouri State University-West Plains has attained eighteen years of age, the permission or consent required of and the rights accorded to the parents of the student shall thereafter be required of and accorded to the student.

   6. University Service Responsibilities

      Much of the important work of Missouri State University-West Plains is carried on by committees appointed by the chancellor, deans and by the Faculty Senate. From time to time temporary committees are established to carry on assigned responsibilities. See the Faculty Senate By-Laws for a complete description of the Faculty Senate standing committees.

   7. Supervision of Laboratory Supervisors

      Some faculty members are responsible for the supervision of laboratory supervisors. Laboratory supervisors are individuals appointed on a semester or yearly basis to supervise laboratory or laboratory-like sections of classes. In this regard, their duties are similar to those of graduate teaching assistants. Laboratory supervisors are not assigned to teach classes as the principal instructor. They should hold at least a baccalaureate degree appropriate to their assignment. Laboratory supervisors always receive term contracts, do not hold academic rank and have no tenure rights.

4. Faculty Performance Evaluation Process

   Each member of the ranked faculty participates in the following evaluative processes:

   1.  Annually develops a Faculty Development Plan (FDP) for the upcoming academic        year which is reviewed by their Associate Dean or immediate faculty supervisor.

   2.  Annually completes a self-evaluation of the previous academic year, including a             review of the past year's FDP.  This self-evaluation will be submitted to the                     Associate Dean or immediate faculty supervisor for their review. 

   3.  Annually receive a Faculty Performance Review (AFPR) by the Associate Dean or         immediate faculty supervisor.

   4.  When applying for reappointment, promotion, or tenure (RPT) the Divisional                   Personnel Committee will conduct a comprehensive review as described                       further in section 4.4.

   Each evaluation will review performance concerning teaching, professional activity and service. Evaluations will provide constructive feedback and suggestions for improving performance regarding promotion or tenure. Evaluations will also include the role of individually negotiated assignments (lab supervisor, program coordinator, grant writer, etc.,...) and will address areas of strengths and weaknesses regarding these assignments.  In negotiating individualized roles for faculty members, the Dean of Academic Affairs is charged to carry out this task in a manner consistent with the Faculty Handbook.

   The Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Deans shall work closely with the Faculty Evaluation Committee and Divisional Personnel Committees (see section 4.4.2) throughout the year as needed to complete the faculty evaluation process.

   The Dean of Academic Affairs shall review faculty evaluation processes with the  Department Chairs and Associate Deans each fall semester.

   1. Regular Performance Reviews

      By the last Friday in April, every ranked faculty member will submit their Faculty Development Plan for the upcoming academic year to the Associate Dean or immediate faculty supervisor.

      By the third Wednesday in September, ranked faculty will submit their self-evaluation for the previous academic year to their Associate Dean or immediate faculty supervisor.  Subsequently, the reviewer will conduct a performance review for the previous academic year and assign a composite rating for every ranked faculty member in his or her jurisdiction.

      At least four numerical or categorical ratings are to be used for the performance reviews.  The ratings are to be designed to recognize both outstanding and unsatisfactory performances as well as those appraised as degrees of good or satisfactory.  The Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Deans shall develop a clear set of expectations for satisfactory performance in the categories of teaching, professional activity and service.

      By the third Thursday in October, the reviewer shall meet with each faculty member to discuss the results of his or her performance review.  To acknowledge that she or he has received the performance review, the faculty member must sign the review before it is forwarded further.  Signing the review does not imply that the faculty member endorses all that is stated therein. The faculty member may append a response before the evaluation is forwarded further, and this response will remain attached throughout the evaluation process.  By the fourth Thursday in October, the reviewer shall forward the performance reviews to the Dean of Academic Affairs.

      By the first Monday in November, the dean shall either endorse or modify the recommended rating. In instances where the dean modifies the rating, the dean must provide a compelling rationale for the change in writing to the reviewer and to the affected faculty member.  Each faculty member shall receive notification of the dean's action regarding their performance review by the Third Wednesday in November, thus completing the faculty evaluation cycle.

      Performance reviews for Associate Deans and immediate faculty supervisors will be conducted by the Dean of Academic Affairs.

      A faculty member may appeal the performance rating as outlined in Section 4.4.4.

      These performance reviews will form a basis for subsequent reviews, for reviews regarding progress toward promotion or tenure and for recommendations concerning promotion, tenure and annual appointment and should be kept on file in the office of Academic Affairs.

      4.4.1.1   Probationary/Tenure-Track Faculty

            4.4.1.1.1 Faculty Mentors

      Untenured, ranked faculty members who are first-year candidates for reappointment shall have the advice of an appropriate faculty mentor to assist them for the reappointment process.  The mentor shall be appointed by the Dean of Academic Affairs in consultation with the Department Chair and/or Associate Dean and the new faculty member and hold this responsibility formally for one year. The mentor should, however, continue to advise the new faculty member on an indefinite basis.

             4.4.1.1.2  Evaluation of Probationary Faculty

      Probationary faculty will undergo the following evaluations: [Forms available through the Office of Academic Affairs]