Evaluation of Teaching
Every candidate for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor on both Kent and Regional Campuses is expected to demonstrate success in teaching. Successful teaching in the graduate programs normally is also a prerequisite, when such instruction is relevant to the appointment.
Evidence of successful teaching may be presented in the following forms (those marked with an asterisk are mandatory):
- Representative syllabi, examinations, handouts, and other teaching materials*
- Peer reviews over the course of the probationary period* [See department policy statement on peer evaluation of teaching in Section 2 G.1]
- Student evaluations (including the University SSI summary sheets and student comments) which typically meet or exceed the norms for the courses*
- Informal evaluations of teaching
- Service on graduate examination, thesis, and dissertation committees
- Documentation of student success (such as prizes won, publications, career placements, etc.)
- Curriculum development and revision
- Use of digital technology
- Invited lectures and readings
- Awards and prizes
- Evidence of integration of current scholarship or creative work in the field in classroom instruction
- Evidence of participation in other teaching development activities (such as teaching circles and teaching pairs, or by engaging in peer reviews of colleagues)
The three mandatory sources for documenting success for personnel decisions鈥攏umerical data from SSIs, discursive comments from SSIs, and peer evaluation of teaching鈥攚ill be used together to make a determination that a candidate has demonstrated success in teaching. While individual components of numerical data like the relationship of individual student response to departmental means and standard deviations could be used to indicate patterns and trends of a candidate鈥檚 strengths and weaknesses, no single source of data will be used in making decisions about a candidate鈥檚 teaching success. Instead, all three data sources will be considered in determining teacher success for personnel decisions.
Criteria for the evaluation of the teaching are listed in Table 2. Course development is defined as creating a new course, adding distance learning options, adapting course to new learning environments or technologies, etc.
Table 2. Evaluation Components for Assessment of Teaching for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor.
Evaluation |
Definition |
Examples of Accomplishments Corresponding to the Assessment Score |
Excellent |
Innovative teacher; provides leadership in instructional development |
Development of courses, research opportunities for students (undergraduate and/or graduate); consistent pattern of success evidenced in student and peer evaluations; instructional creativity; leading curricular initiatives; teaching awards |
Good |
Successful teacher |
Consistent pattern of success evidenced in student and peer evaluations; model teaching materials; participation in departmental curricular reviews or initiatives |
Marginal |
Inconsistent teacher |
Inconsistent pattern of effectiveness evidenced in student and peer evaluations; adequate teaching materials |
Inadequate |
Substandard teacher |
Consistent pattern of lack of success evidenced in student and peer evaluations; substandard teaching materials |
Poor |
Ineffective teacher |
Consistent pattern of lack of success evidenced in student and peer evaluations, substandard teaching materials; pattern of complaints |