Three academicians (Paul J. Friedman, Gail H. Cassell, Richard A. Cooper) discuss tenure in academic medicine. Friedman explains and defends the current system; Cassell argues that negative perceptions about tenured faculty are not supported by research but that better evaluation criteria are needed; and Cooper proposes that the purposes for…

Data indicate that faculty publication may not be as essential to university promotion and tenure as is commonly thought. Listed publications may be the result of padding and factors such as university service may influence promotion decisions. Universities need to adopt more stringent tenure and promotion policies based on explicit criteria. (DB)

Discusses the employment conditions and levels of satisfaction of the increasing numbers of full- and part-time college faculty members ineligible for tenure. Recommends extension of academic freedom, a reasonable amount of job security for all faculty, inclusion of tenure-ineligible faculty members in governance, and basing faculty rewards and…

Encourages using a portfolio as a means of tracking and assessing a teacher's strengths and achievements. Explains what a portfolio should include: (1) background information; (2) current statement of teaching philosophy; (3) course syllabi and descriptions; (4) course portfolio; (5) sample assignments and handouts; (6) samples of student work;…

Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on excellence in teaching and research in academia. Evaluative activities used in decisions related to retention, tenure, promotion, and merit salary increases can be positively linked to renewing faculty excellence in teaching. The development or revision of a faculty recognition document should allow…

The spring of 1995 brought the onus of assessment to the Department of Communication Arts at Ohio Northern University (ONU). Often seen as a painful process, departmental assessments can become productive endeavors. Although, as a private institution, ONU is not subject to the dictates for assessment from the State Board of Education, assessment…

Issues concerning the development of a teaching evaluation system are considered, along with the use of student ratings of teachers. In addition to briefly reviewing the beginnings of teacher evaluation, the following prerequisites for a successful faculty evaluation system are identified: the cooperation and support of many groups, strong…

In response to the problem of developing a comprehensive system of evaluation to improve and reward instructional effectiveness that is acceptable to both the academic and administrative arms of an institution, this paper presents a series of recommendations comprising a possible approach to the problem. After providing a rationale for a…

The importance and issues of peer evaluation of teaching are discussed. It is suggested that a more tangible relationship between professional advancement and teaching effectiveness is necessary to motivate faculty to improve instruction, and that evaluation can provide essential information to a teacher to help improve teaching quality. Problems…

Student evaluations of faculty members are worth reading, but some difficulties in their interpretation must be solved if they are not to subvert the teaching process. Problems include the perceived connection between lowered academic standards and student evaluations, the role of personalities, and their use for personnel decisions. (MSE)

People on the tenure track complain that evaluation criteria are inexplicit. The second problem is the allocation of energies between teaching and publication. Administrators must be informed about anything that explains exactly what the faculty member's work means. (MLW)

When institutional personnel assess faculty research performance, they should consider the extent to which the institution rewards research, ways to encourage faculty to be productive, criteria for evaluating research performance, and the specific steps useful in reviewing research performance within academic units. (Author/MSE)

Addresses several considerations related to faculty evaluation, including student evaluation, peer review, self-assessment, evaluation of scholarly investigation and creative production, and examination of service functions performed. Proposes an innovative approach to determining merit salary increases. (AYC)

Research on the validity of student rating scales of teacher performance is inconsistent, and the issue of why the scales are used needs examination. Until their criterion validity is raised to correlations of .7 to .8 or construct validity can be established, results should not be used in making tenure decisions. (MSE)

Reviews developments in faculty evaluation since 1968. Considers various evaluation models (e.g., Teacher Performance Test, comprehensive evaluation, and student evaluation). Concludes that rather than improving faculty performance, the emphasis on teacher evaluation has resulted in more faculty mistrust, lower self-esteem, less innovation and…