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3.7.2 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/JUSTIFICATION FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE
The University regularly evaluates the effectiveness of each faculty member in accord with published criteria, regardless of contractual or tenured status.
Annual Faculty Evaluation
All faculty are evaluated annually regardless
of contractual or tenure status. Although the annual review may differ
among colleges/schools, the method of evaluation is preparation of a
comprehensive document known as a Professional Performance Profile (PPP)
or a Professional
Performance Evaluation (PPE). (Profiles for Evaluation)
In this document the faculty member reports on the year's activities
in the areas of teaching,
service,
and
scholarship.
The results of the faculty evaluation are considered as part of the promotion
and
tenure
process and in consideration for merit pay increases. As noted in the
Faculty Handbook, “While Academic Preparation, Experience,
and Professional Responsibilities form the basis for faculty competence,
faculty seeking promotion and tenure must demonstrate achievements in
the areas of Teaching, Service, and Scholarship.” (Faculty
Handbook, 2.3 Major Faculty Responsibilities)
As stated in the Faculty Handbook, the University considers teaching its primary mission and considers teaching to include knowledge in the field, quality of teaching, academic advisement, and career counseling. In the area of teaching, faculty are evaluated by students each long semester using the University of Washington Instructional Assessment System. (Faculty Handbook, 2.3 A Teaching) Results of the evaluation are provided in feedback sessions between department chairs and faculty (Feedback Verification Form). Documentation regarding these sessions is on file in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and is included in the faculty member's annual PPP or PPE. Some departments may also include peer evaluation and self evaluation as measures of teaching effectiveness.
The Faculty Handbook defines service as a variety of activities in which faculty members use their academic expertise to benefit the University, the community and their profession. Service to the University includes active participation in college and university committees, councils, and special projects. Community service emphasizes the role of the University in business and industrial development, work force development, and community educational, health, and social development. Professional service includes participation and leadership in professional organizations and activities. (Faculty Handbook, 2.3 B Service)
The Faculty Handbook provides a broad definition of scholarship to encompass the wide array of disciplines represented by the faculty. Broadly defined scholarship involves the expansion and application of knowledge and understanding about the world and consists of three types: Scholarship of Discovery, Scholarship of Integration and Teaching, and Scholarship of Application. In the area of Scholarship of Discovery, productivity may be documented in the form of scholarly books, articles, oral presentations of research, artistic productions, and performances. The Scholarship of Integration involves making connections across disciplines, making academic materials available to a wider audience, and evaluating new pedagogical approaches. It may take the form of academic writing, textbooks, multi-media productions or creative instructional approaches. The Scholarship of Application brings learning and knowledge to bear upon the solution of practical problems and may take the form of publications, presentations, consultations, policy analysis and program evaluation. (Faculty Handbook, 2.3 C Scholarship)
Some academic units have specialized areas for evaluation. In particular, library faculty identify components of evaluation for each of the dimensions of evaluation in terms of their unique responsibilities. Nursing faculty are evaluated on a fourth dimension of active clinical practice in order to assure continued expertise in their area of clinical specialization.
To facilitate achievement in all areas of responsibility, faculty workload provides the flexibility for multiple roles. “It is recognized that the nature of a full-time teaching load will vary from institution to institution (and between departments in the same institution) because of differences in the nature of instructional programs, the stages of development of the institutions, the natures of student bodies, and other factors. In all institutions, faculty members are expected to engage in those commonly accepted duties, which will enhance the teaching/learning process and the quality of the institution’s programs. Recognized duties include classroom teaching, scholarly study, basic and applied research, professional development, student advising and counseling, course and curriculum development, continuing education, public service, assistance in the administration of the academic program, and similar academic activities.” (The Texas A&M University System Policy 12.03: Faculty Academic Workload and Reporting Requirements).
Promotion and Tenure Procedure
Written procedures for promoting faculty are developed by each College/School
and the Library, and reviewed and approved by the Faculty Senate and
the Provost. In keeping with general requirements specified in the Faculty
Handbook, each unit's procedures include identification of the persons
responsible and their roles and responsibilities in the process. Materials
are submitted first to the departmental committee, then the department
chair, the college committee, the dean, then the University
committee and the Provost, who recommends approval or disapproval to
the University President. At each point in the process, a record is made
of the decision/vote and the candidate is given the opportunity to withdraw
from consideration.(Faculty Handbook, 2.6 Promotion
of Faculty)
Consideration for tenure occurs in the sixth year of service at the University, beginning with appointment to the rank of full-time Assistant Professor/Librarian or above. The procedure used by the College/School/Library for faculty promotion is also used for tenure, with the additional step that final decisions on tenure are made by the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System. (Faculty Handbook, 2.8 Tenure)
SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
| SOURCE |
LOCATION/Special Instructions |
| Profiles for Evaluation | http://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/ie/prof-eval/ |
| Faculty Handbook, 2.3 Major Faculty Responsibilities | http://www.tamiu.edu/handbook.pdf  Scroll down to page 14. |
| University of Washington, Instructional Assessment System | http://www.washington.edu/oea/ias1.htm |
| Faculty Handbook, 2.3 A Teaching | http://www.tamiu.edu/handbook.pdf Scroll down to page 15. |
| Feedback Verification Form | http://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/ie/forms/feedback-form.pdf |
| Faculty Handbook, 2.3 B Service | http://www.tamiu.edu/handbook.pdf Scroll down to page 15. |
| Faculty Handbook, 2.3 C Scholarship | http://www.tamiu.edu/handbook.pdf Scroll down to page 16. |
| The Texas A&M University System Policy 12.03: Faculty Academic Workload and Reporting Requirements | http://sago.tamu.edu/policy/12-03.htm |
| Faculty Handbook, 2.6 Promotion of Faculty | http://www.tamiu.edu/handbook.pdf Scroll down to page 24. |
| Faculty Handbook, 2.8 Tenure | http://www.tamiu.edu/handbook.pdf Scroll down to page 26. |