Basic questions concerning the purposes and functions of faculty evaluation in higher education are considered, along with background of the practice. It is contended that the purpose of faculty evaluation ought to be the improvement of instruction, and that the administrative uses of faculty evaluation for decisions of promotion, tenure, and…

A brief history is provided of the efforts undertaken in California to devise alternatives to the current rules concerning credentials, tenures, and evaluation for faculty and administrators, along with a comparison of the recommendations emanating from two legislatively mandated studies of these issues. First, historical background is presented…

Information and articles on faculty advising are presented in this newsletter issue. The first article identifies specific consultation services on academic advising, as well as sources of information on academic advising. Next, in "Measuring Faculty Advisor Effectiveness," Stephen C. Brock describes the Cooperative Project on Advising,…

Directors of forensics at research universities are subject to a conflict between attaining pedagogically justified goals for forensic activities and the realities incumbent upon the mission of a research university. The ideal, pedagogical view of forensics maintains that a forensics program should offer a broad range of activities, should be…

Perspectives on the use of adjunct faculty are provided by the Chancellor of Indiana University at Kokomo. Colleges can call upon adjunct faculty to offer courses that would not ordinarily be offered. Adjunct faculty are important in bringing an amount of productivity and experience to degree programs, since they bring expertise in a given…

Student governments played an important role in the development of faculty evaluation programs. The value of student governments in today's comprehensive faculty evaluation programs is discussed. Student evaluation, student ratings, and faculty evaluation are defined. (Author/MLW)

Suggestions on how to develop comprehensive systems of instructional improvement and evaluation are offered. In order to measure and evaluate instructional effectiveness accurately, criteria and guidelines for that evaluation must be set up. This first step is accomplished most effectively at the departmental level. (MLW)

A case in which California's constitutional right to privacy is used to protect confidential peer review files is analyzed, and the case's significance and possible ramifications for discovery requests of peer review files are discussed. (MSE)

This article addresses some of the contextual factors that influence faculty evaluation in a small, church-related liberal arts college and identifies five areas in which structural and normative constraints of the institution may affect individual faculty ratings. Provides recommendations for preparing evaluations which minimize the impact of…

The extension of Title VII to college faculty provided a mechanism for relief in cases where faculty were denied reappointment, promotion, or tenure for reasons unrelated to their job performance. The standards of review in Title VII cases and the court's role in academic Title VII cases are discussed. (MLW)

When asked what activities contributed most to promotion to higher academic rank, faculty in a large midwestern medical school perceived research as the single most important activity. Department chairmen, however, included teaching, patient care, and administration/service as well. Clearly stated promotion criteria are recommended. (MSE)

Sweeney is the first higher education case in which a court overruled unanimous peer recommendation against promotion and tenure. The possible implications for the peer review or collegial model of making faculty promotion and tenure decisions are examined, and more thorough and objective decision methods are recommended. (MSE)

As colleges and universities seek to raise attention to teaching, peer review offers distinct advantages, especially for faculty eager to reduce classroom isolation and collaborate in improvement. It also presents political and methodological challenges and presumes significantly different roles for faculty in improving quality of student…

If faculty peer review of teaching is to overcome institutional marginalization, its formative and summative components must use rules, criteria, and standards for effective teaching that are agreed upon by faculty in the academic unit. This conversation clarifies expectations for curriculum, teaching, and student learning. Only such a process can…

Discusses ways to reward and promote excellent teachers based on a survey of higher education promotion practices in the United Kingdom. Highlights include the need for promotion criteria; the need for standards; balancing different areas of achievement, including teaching, research, and administration; student feedback questionnaires;…