Three types of educational evaluation--student learning, summative, and formative--are identified and described. Major emphasis is placed upon formative evaluation, which takes place over a period of time and is performed by professors rather than external evaluators or judges. Four possible targets for formative evaluations are: course content…

The detrimental effect of evaluating college teachers with student ratings of their performance is illustrated. The author found that he could raise his ratings by reducing the quality of his teaching and concentrating on the improvement of morale among his optometry students at the University of California at Berkeley. (JMD)

Based on the assumption that student learning is the strongest criterion for evaluating effective teaching, three practices that create partnerships between college students, teachers, and faculty peers in understanding quality in teaching and learning are described. The techniques use creation and evaluation of student and faculty course…

Hoping to gain prestige and financial support for research, many four-year institutions have toughened faculty tenure and promotion standards to require more and better research. Some older faculty have been surpassed in salary and perquisites by younger, more aggressive scholars. Morale problems and concern over evaluation criteria have resulted.…

Syracuse University (New York) is working to change the publish-or-perish ethos in higher education through better organized courses, more vigorous teaching evaluation policies, and merit raises and grants for strong teachers. More ambitious changes may follow. The modest plan has become the most comprehensive such effort to date. (MSE)

A study investigated the response of faculty and administrators at four United Kingdom universities to implementation of faculty performance appraisal. Overall, staff felt the appraisal had little tangible benefit. Ambiguity over the objective of performance appraisal, as a management tool or for faculty development purposes, is seen as a concern.…

In 1979, El Camino College revised its faculty evaluation procedure, impelled by concerns over the severe consequences and resultant rarity of unsatisfactory ratings, the reluctance of faculty to evaluate their peers, and the high requirements of faculty time. The new procedure includes the following components: (1) options allowing tenured…

The articles in this collection focus on processes for evaluating community college faculty and staff and highlight successful and unsuccessful evaluation practices. The collection includes: (1) "A Conceptual Framework for Staff Evaluation," by Al Smith; (2) "Evaluation of Full-Time Faculty," by Lawrence H. Poole and Donald A. Dellow; (3)…

The process by which the sociology department at the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, has changed character and resolved situations of conflict and polarization is examined. The sociology department experienced rapid growth and the university as a whole shifted from teaching as a single function to teaching and research. It is suggested…

The University of Notre Dame developed the Teaching Activity Report in an effort to present professors with meaningful summaries of their individual instructional efforts each semester. Geared to meet the needs of the individual instructors and their superiors, the Teaching Activity Report synthesizes all facets of the individual's instructional…

The program of faculty development by growth contracting at Gordon College, Massachusetts, is described and evaluated, and a faculty development manual is presented. Under the growth contracting program, each participating faculty member writes a faculty profile that contains an assessment of strengths and weaknesses, a statement of current…

A job-related system for evaluating faculty performance in a college of business is examined. The method emphasizes the role of the department chair, links weighted faculty responsibilities in teaching, scholarship, and service, and uses results in annual evaluations and salary recommendations. (Author/MLW)

Provides a model for a collegial support system--an alternative to administrator-conducted supervision of teachers--that allows administrators to move from a directive to a supportive role with teachers. (JW)

Issues of institutional accountability for colleges and universities are examined in the American and European contexts, particularly as market forces gain importance in Europe. Varying forms of accountability (formal, through accreditation; financial; and academic) and two dimensions of accountability (external vs. internal, legal vs. financial)…

Discusses issues in the use of adjunct faculty in law schools, including lack of participation in intellectual dialog of the institution or in discussion of pedagogical concerns, appropriate use of adjuncts' skills, pay equity, and hiring and evaluation practices. Offers specific suggestions for departments and institutions in communicating with…