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Faculty Evaluation Procedures:What Committee Members and

Evaluees Need to Know

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

What is the purpose of the evaluation process? A. The evaluation process should assist faculty in understanding the expectations

for employment and tenure; developing skills and acquiring the experience to participate successfully in the educational process; and using the District’s and other resources for professional growth.

B. The evaluation process should assure that students have access to the most knowledgeable, talented, creative, and student-oriented faculty available. Therefore, periodic performance evaluations are conducted for all tenured, tenure track, and adjunct faculty. A four-year probationary period is provided for tenure-track employees.

C. The evaluation process safeguards and assures the principles and practices of academic freedom as defined in District Policies and Procedures. Academic freedom applies equally to all tenured, probationary, adjunct, and grant-funded faculty.

D. The evaluation process should assure quality of work performance and professional growth/development by providing a useful assessment of performance.

Evaluation Criteria for Faculty

Student RelationsProfessional Responsibilities Evaluators, Evaluees and Committee Members should take

care to review the complete list of evaluation criteria on pages 3 and 4 of Appendix G.

Evaluation Ratings Exceeds Expectations: This rating should be used for faculty whose performance

far exceeds expectations due to exceptionally high quality of work n all essential areas of responsibility, resulting in an overall quality of work that is superior.

Meets Expectations: This rating should be used for faculty who perform assigned responsibilities well, consistently throughout the review period.

Needs Improvement: This rating should be made for faculty who made a sincere effort to meet the evaluation criteria but need additional guidance to meet them successfully.

Unsatisfactory: This rating should be used for faculty whose performance was below standard with regard to the evaluation criteria. Steps must be taken to improve overall performance.

What do the ratings mean…is an “A” really an “A”?

“A. Exceeds Expectations” , “B. Meets Expectations”, “C. Needs Improvement”, “D. Unsatisfactory”…how do you choose the right one?

Each individual committee member will have a slightly different understanding of what kind of work merits an A, B, C or D

Tenure-track evaluees should be most concerned with earning “passing marks”, i.e. a “B/Meets Expectations.” This means that they have what it takes to be a successful faculty member and will receive the next contract.

There are no bonus points for getting an “A.” Evaluators / Committee members should clearly communicate to an

evaluee how they view the rating system so that there are no misunderstandings if someone does not get an “A”

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Committee Structure Evaluation Guidance Committee: Comprised of the appropriate Vice President, District

Academic Senate President and the AFT President or their designees.

Division Evaluation Committee (Tenured Faculty Evaluations): Comprised of three to five tenured faculty members (number depends on size of division, number of evaluations and diversity among the group) recommended by division faculty in week 16-18 of the fall semester and approved by the Division Dean / Responsible Administrator. The Division Dean / Responsible Administrator forwards the recommendation to the Academic Senate for approval. The committee will select a faculty member as chair.

Tenure Evaluation Committee (Tenure-Track Faculty Evaluations): Comprised of four tenured faculty members and one Division Dean / Responsible Administrator, the committee is division based and shall elect its own Chair among the four faculty members. All tenured faculty members of a division constitute the pool of potential committee members. Of the committee members chosen, at least one shall be a “discipline expert” chosen in a collaborative process by the Division Dean / Responsible Administrator and the tenured faculty members appropriate to the discipline of the evaluee. Three of the evaluation committee members are permanent: the Chair, the discipline expert and the Division Dean / Responsible Administrator. Two tenured committee members will rotate onto the committee in years three and four. In week 16-18 of the spring semester, the four tenured faculty members are recommended by division faculty for each tenure track faculty member’s Tenure Evaluation Committee and approved by the Division Dean / Responsible Administrator. The Division Dean / Responsible Administrator forwards the recommendation to the Academic Senate for approval.

Key Components of the Evaluation

Classroom/Online Observation Student Questionnaire Faculty Portfolio* Mandatory Self-Assessment Division Dean/Responsible Administrator Observation Division Dean/Responsible Administrator Assessment of Non-Teaching

Responsibilities, if applicable

*Tenured faculty only need to provide a portfolio as part of a comprehensive evaluation.

The Observation The evaluator will observe and assess the performance of the evaluee. This assessment may

take place in the classroom, at the service site, or through observation of digital recordings of actual classroom presentations, counseling sessions, etc. They will take into consideration any of the evaluee’s comments regarding the observation, particularly her/his explanation of how the events observed by her/his evaluators relate to the goals and objectives of her/his professional activities, before they formulate a written report of their individual judgments of the evaluee’s performance.

Online classes are also observed

Observations will not take place on days of exams, student presentations, field trips, guest lectures, etc.

Evaluators only provide limited feedback immediately after the observation. More comprehensive feedback comes later.

Within ten days after the observation(s), the evaluator will meet with the evaluee to discuss the observation(s)

The Student Questionnaire Student questionnaires are anonymous.

May be given to students online or in writing.

If applicable should be administered by week 10

The results will be discussed with the evaluee by the evaluator on a high level prior to the end of the semester. The tabulated results will be made available after grades are posted.

The Portfolio “The faculty member shall supply a well-organized, comprehensible, and succinct faculty

portfolio in hard copy or as a PDF. See appropriate form for list of required items depending on assignment.”

“The intent of the Faculty Portfolio is to assist the evaluator in understanding the instructional methodologies being employed in the courses currently taught by the evaluee.”

Portfolio is due by week 11 to the evaluator(Adjunct), Chair of the Division Evaluation Committee (Tenured), or the Chair of the Tenure Evaluation Committee (Tenure-Track).

Each evaluator must conduct an independent review of the portfolio and complete a Portfolio Review Form for discussion with the evaluee. When the form is completed, the evaluator will forward the form, along with any written response from the evaluee, with all other evaluation materials to the responsible administrator (Adjunct), or the chair of the Division Evaluation Committee (Tenured), or the chair of the Tenure Evaluation Committee (Tenure-Track) .

The Portfolio serves many purposes

The Portfolio is used: to provide evaluator/s with recent

materials that support faculty’s professional teaching/coordinating/service) philosophies

to reinforce what faculty does in the classroom and/or in his/her primary non-teaching assignment

to unify the varied aspects of faculty’s assignment

to provide recent examples of materials that support the COR and other aspects of faculty’s assignment

to showcase samples of faculty’s professional activities

The portfolio: is a reflection of professionalism;

is one of several components of the evaluation;

is a compilation of the best aspects of faculty’s work;

reveals various aspects of faculty’s assignment/s

provides faculty the opportunity to unify various components of his/her evaluation

Portfolio Pointers: Contents Course syllabi (for teaching

faculty) Grading policy Texts Supplemental Materials Expectations/Classroom Policies Major Assignments

Sample class materials (for teaching faculty) Quizzes, midterm/s, other exams Handouts Assignments Assigned projects Other sample class materials

(optional at the discretion of evaluee, not evaluators)

Portfolio Pointers: Contents cont’d Representative Projects (for coordination and other non-teaching assignments)

Examples: Workshops and presentations given; consider including a videotape of a

workshop a survey of the workshop participants Promotional materials created Surveys created and result summaries Project development materials Grant proposals Other materials that show evidence of your work

Mandatory Self-Assessment Each evaluee must complete the Self-Assessment.

The purpose of the Self-Assessment is to provide the evaluee a place to reflect on his or her growth as a teacher, a scholar, and a colleague.

The Self-Assessment is due by Week 12 of the semester when applicable.

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Division Dean / Responsible Administrator Role / Assessment / Observation Support faculty and help them achieve their potential

Assure that all positive results are clearly communicated and that all negative results are constructively delivered.

Facilitates the process of selecting peer evaluators (Week 16-18 of the fall and spring semesters) and identifies those who need to be evaluated.

Assist the evaluator / Committees by ensuring Student Questionnaires are tabulated.

Observe and assess the performance of Tenure-Track evaluees each year of the four year cycle and meet with the evaluee to review his / her observations and recommendations. A written report of the observation will be part of the Tenure Evaluation Committee documentation.

Provides a written assessment of the evaluee, focused primarily on non-teaching responsibilities. When the form is completed, the Dean / Responsible Administrator will forward the form to the evaluator (adjunct) or chair of the Division (Tenured) or Tenure (Tenure-Track) Evaluation Committee (along with any written response from the evaluee).

Evaluator / Committee Member Responsibilities 1. “follow the procedure”! 2. “to meet with the evaluee to review criteria and methods of evaluation

and the timelines of the evaluation process” Discuss the contents of the portfolio and how the contents will be reviewed

3. to gather and review all data obtained by the various evaluation methods employed;

4. to meet with the evaluee to discuss evaluation results and develop a plan for professional growth;

5. to complete Observation, Portfolio Review, and Evaluation Summary forms with commendations and recommendations as appropriate;

6. to determine an evaluation recommendation; and 7. to forward their recommendation to the responsible administrators

Getting Started The Evaluator (Adjunct) / Committee (Tenured and Tenure-Track) and the Evaluee should

discuss expectations.

Start compiling materials as soon as possible.

Be selective and purposeful in what is included in the portfolio.

Represent as complete a semester as possible.

Submit the portfolio on time… by Week 11.

NOTE: Remember to keep open communication between the Committee and the Evaluee. Writing is best so that no one has to rely on their memory!

TENURED FACULTY

Tenured Faculty: Types of Evaluations

Tenured faculty are evaluated at least once every three years, alternating between Comprehensive and Standard evaluations.

The Standard Evaluation includes:

Student Questionnaire (Administered by a Division Evaluation Committee member)

Assessment of Non-Teaching Responsibilities (Dean)

Mandatory Self-Assessment (Evaluee)

The Comprehensive Evaluation includes:

Standard components plus Observation and Portfolio.

Observation conducted by a single tenured faculty member selected by evaluee and Dean / Responsible Administrator. If a mutually acceptable evaluator can not be agreed upon, the selection will be made by the Division Evaluation Committee.

Tenured Faculty: Timeline Weeks 1-4 of Spring Semester

Orientation to All Participants (this is it!)

The Division Evaluation Committee meets with evaluee

The Division Evaluation Committee Chair establishes a schedule

Weeks 5 to 12 of Spring Semester If applicable, evaluator(s) complete Observations (classroom and online) . Observation form is

completed and reviewed with evaluee within 10 days of the observation. The completed form is forwarded to the Division Evaluation Committee Chair.

Student Questionnaires are administered by Week 10.

If applicable, the Division Evaluation Committee provides an overview of the student questionnaires to the evaluee prior to the end of the semester. The tabulated student questionnaires will be made available to the evaluee after grades are posted.

If applicable, the evaluee completes and submits a Portfolio to the Division Evaluation Committee Chair by Week 11.

The evaluee completes and submits the Mandatory Self-Assessment to Division Evaluation Committee Chair by Week 12.

Tenured Faculty: Timeline cont’d Weeks 13 – 17 of Spring Semester

If applicable, the Dean/Responsible Administrator completes and submits the Dean/Responsible Administrator’s Assessment of Non-Teaching Responsibilities by Week 13 to the Division Evaluation Committee Chair.

The Division Evaluation Committee meets to review the results of the evaluation process and reaches its recommendation.

The Division Evaluation Committee meets with the evaluee to inform her/him of the Committee’s recommendations and, if the evaluee receives an overall rating of “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” on the evaluation summary, develops with the evaluee a Performance Improvement Plan.

The Division Evaluation Committee submits its evaluation summary to the appropriate Vice President by Week 17. The Vice President reviews and forwards copies to the evaluee, personnel file, and the Dean/Responsible Administrator.

The Dean/Responsible Administrator records the results and schedules the next evaluation.

Tenured Faculty: Performance Improvement Plans If an evaluation results in “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory”, the

Evaluation Committee will develop a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).

A comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for the next academic year (Follow-up Evaluation #1)

If Follow-up Evaluation #1 results in a rating of “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” a second and final Follow-Up Evaluation will be scheduled for the next academic year.

If the final Follow-Up Evaluation rating is “Needs Improvement”, a limited re-evaluation will be scheduled for the following semester.

If the final Follow-Up Evaluation rating is “Unsatisfactory”, the matter will be referred to the responsible Vice President to determine next steps in consultation with the Vice Chancellor, Human Resources.

ADJUNCT FACULTY

Adjunct Faculty: The Basics An adjunct faculty member is evaluated by a full-time faculty member instead

of a committee. The Faculty Evaluator is jointly selected by the Division Dean/Responsible Administrator and the evaluee, preferably from the same or related discipline. If a mutually acceptable evaluator cannot be agreed on, the selection will be made by the Evaluation Guidance Committee.

Like a committee, the Full-Time Faculty Evaluator must meet with the evaluee, review evaluation criteria and procedures. If a PIP is needed, the Evaluator must prepare it.

Components include: Observation, Student Questionnaire, Portfolio, Mandatory Self-Assessment, and Assessment of Non-Teaching Responsibilities.

Adjunct Faculty: Evaluation Schedule

After the initial evaluation, adjunct faculty will be evaluated every four semesters during the following 8 semesters of employment and every six thereafter if their evaluations meet or exceed expectations.

An adjunct faculty member who receives an “Unsatisfactory” in his/her first semester of service will not be renewed for employment.

An adjunct faculty member who receives “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” will be given a Performance Improvement Plan for the next academic semester of teaching and a second evaluation will take place. If the second evaluation results in “Needs Improvement”, the adjunct faculty member will be given a third opportunity. If the third evaluation results in “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory”, the adjunct faculty member will not be renewed for employment.

Adjunct Faculty: Timeline Weeks 1-4 of Semester (Fall or Spring)

Orientation to All Participants (this is it!)

The evaluator meets with evaluee

The evaluator establishes a schedule

Weeks 5 to 12 of Semester The evaluator completes the Observation(s). Observation form is completed and reviewed

with evaluee within 10 days of the observation.

Student Questionnaires are administered by Week 10.

If applicable, the Division Evaluation Committee provides an overview of the student questionnaires to the evaluee prior to the end of the semester. The tabulated student questionnaires will be made available to the evaluee after grades are posted.

The evaluee completes and submits a Portfolio to the evaluator by Week 11.

The evaluee completes and submits the Mandatory Self-Assessment to the evaluator by Week 12.

The evaluator discusses the different evaluation components with the evaluee.

Adjunct Faculty: Timeline cont’d Weeks 13 – 17 of Semester

The Dean/Responsible Administrator completes and submits the Dean/Responsible Administrator’s Assessment of Non-Teaching Responsibilities by Week 13 to the evaluator.

The evaluator meets with the adjunct faculty member to review the results of the evaluation process and recommendations.

If the evaluee receives an overall rating of “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” on the evaluation summary, the evaluator develops with the evaluee a Performance Improvement Plan.

The evaluator submits his/her evaluation recommendation to the appropriate Vice President, and then the College President, by Week 17.

For adjunct faculty members who only have summer assignments, the evaluations are conducted on a condensed timeline.

TENURE TRACK FACULTY

Tenure-Track Faculty: Timeline Weeks 1-4 of Fall Semester

Orientation to All Participants (this is it!)

The committee meets with evaluee

The committee establishes a schedule

Weeks 5 to 12 of Fall Semester If applicable, evaluators complete Observations (classroom and online) . Observation form is

completed and reviewed with evaluee within 10 days of the observation. The completed form is forwarded to the Tenure Evaluation Committee Chair.

Student Questionnaires are administered by Week 10.

If applicable, the evaluators provide an overview of the student questionnaires to the evaluee prior to the end of the semester. The tabulated student questionnaires will be made available to the evaluee after grades are posted.

If applicable, the evaluee completes and submits a Portfolio to the Tenure Evaluation Committee Chair by Week 11.

The evaluee completes and submits the Mandatory Self-Assessment to Tenure Evaluation Committee Chair by Week 12.

Tenure-Track Faculty: Timeline cont’d

Weeks 13 – 17 of Fall Semester The Dean/Responsible Administrator completes and submits the Dean/Responsible

Administrator’s Assessment of Non-Teaching Responsibilities by Week 13 to the Chair of the Tenure Evaluation Committee.

The Tenure Evaluation Committee meets to review the results of the evaluation process and reaches its recommendation.

The Tenure Evaluation Committee meets with the evaluee to inform her/him of the Committee’s recommendations and, if the evaluee receives an overall rating of “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” on the evaluation summary, develops with the evaluee a Performance Improvement Plan.

The Tenure Evaluation Committee submits its recommendation to the appropriate Vice President, and subsequently to the College President, in Week 17 of the academic year.

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Final Thoughts and Q & A