3.7.2 Faculty evaluation
The institution regularly evaluates the effectiveness of each faculty member in accord with published criteria, regardless of contractual or tenured status.
Judgment of Compliance
Compliance
Narrative of Justification
Bennett College regularly evaluates the effectiveness of each faculty member using published criteria. Faculty evaluations are done on each member regardless of contractual or tenured status. Division and Department Chairs are responsible for conducting faculty evaluations. As outlined in the Academic Affairs Handbook, the evaluation of faculty members includes the faculty self-evaluation, student evaluation data, the individual faculty development plan, and class observation. (See Academic Affairs Handbook pp 5-7)
Faculty Evaluation Policy
The Bennett College policy is to evaluate full-time faculty members annually and to evaluate part-time and adjunct faculty on a semester-by-semester basis. The policy, criteria, process and timelines are found in the Academic Affairs Handbook and in the Faculty Handbook. All faculty members, no matter their status, receive information about the evaluation process in new faculty orientation. New full-time faculty members are given copies of the Bennett Faculty Handbook, and part-time and adjunct faculty members are provided with information from the Handbook concerning the evaluation of faculty.
Full-time Faculty Evaluation Criteria
Full-time faculty members are evaluated using ten (10) criteria: (1) Teaching Effectiveness, (2) Command of Subject Area, (3) Dependability, (4) Professional Activities and Growth, (5) Creativity, (6) Contributions to Student Welfare, (7) Interpersonal Relations, (8) Adaptability, (9) Use of Resources and (10) Contribution to Community, State, and Nation. (See Faculty Performance Evaluation Form)
Teaching Effectiveness and Command of Subject Area include student evaluation scores and the Department Chair/Division Chair evaluation of teaching effectiveness, classroom evaluations and curriculum development. Professional Activities and Growth includes professional presentations and roles in professional organizations. Contributions to Student Welfare include advising and mentoring. Contributions to Community, State, and Nation include service that is provided to the department, to the College and to the community at large.
Part-time and Adjunct Faculty Evaluation Criteria
Part-time and adjunct faculty evaluations are conducted each semester and include the use of student evaluation scores and classroom evaluations as measures. Consistent with the evaluation process of full-time faculty, all part-time faculty members are required to administer the student evaluation forms focused on instructional effectiveness at the end of each semester. Feedback from students goes to the instructor and to the department and division chairs. The results are placed on file to be used in future part-time faculty hiring decisions.
The Faculty Evaluation Procedure
Student evaluations of faculty are carried out in November of the fall semester and April of the spring semester for all faculty members, regardless of their contractual or tenured status. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research (OIE&R) is responsible for delivering and collecting the student evaluation forms. After processing the evaluation forms, the OIE&R disseminates the results to Division Chairs and maintains copies of all forms. The office also maintains a data-bank of faculty evaluation scores which allows the institution over time to track trends in teacher effectiveness. The faculty evaluation process begins with the Self-Evaluation of Faculty Personnel submitted to the Department Chair/Division Chair in the fall semester prior to final examinations. The annual faculty evaluation conferences are held by January. Summary faculty evaluations are then sent to the Office of Academic Affairs.
Faculty evaluations are used to make recommendations and decisions about tenure, promotion, reappointment of non-tenured faculty, termination of tenured and non-tenured faculty, and for post-tenure review, which has a separate calendar and process. (Academic Affairs Handbook, pp. 5-7) The evaluation process is also used as a tool to focus on improvements that can be made through personal and/or professional development.
As Bennett assesses student learning outcomes in each academic program, the analysis and interpretation of data generated by this assessment are used for purposes of continuous improvement of instruction. (
Academic Programs Student Learning Outcomes Assessments ) Deficiencies of student learning associated with specific learning outcomes that can be linked to course instruction are addressed. Therefore, the faculty evaluation process is directly linked to continuous improvement efforts in teaching and learning.
Supporting Documents