Describes a pilot project that had faculty from four universities develop portfolios of their professional service activities. Discusses issues and insights emerging from early project experience, including importance of collaboration, realistic estimation of time and effort required for documentation, tension between this innovation and…

Presents a model of quality assurance for colleges and universities, distilled from key concepts in the literature about quality assurance and higher education culture and practice. The model has continuous quality improvement in student learning at its center, and includes elements of institutional values, faculty evaluation and development,…

Research on variables that may bias student ratings of faculty have found them generally insignificant, but students do rate differently by academic field. The real problem arises from not knowing why this occurs. Institutions and individuals should decide how they will take these differences into consideration when interpreting student ratings.…

Describes how Florida State University used the Salary Model, a menu-driven software package that allows administrators to compare activities of one faculty member to others. Discusses several theoretical and pragmatic concerns that should be addressed when using the program. (MM)

Examines the validity of the faculty evaluation instrument used at Tulsa Community College (Oklahoma). Compares student evaluations of adjunct instructors and full-time faculty members. Finds that (1) a single dimension construct existed; (2) item-level comparisons yielded no meaningful differences between evaluations of teachers; and (3) overall…

A discussion of faculty tenure focuses on the system used at Colby College (Maine). Policies and practices are described, with attention given to the four evaluations made before tenure is awarded, efforts to ensure instructional quality and research productivity after the tenure decision, and the balance of teaching and scholarship in the faculty…

A certification system for college faculty must effectively balance supply and demand, be criterion-referenced, choose criteria that command community confidence, be known throughout the market in which a given faculty member will operate, protect academic freedom, and provide a visible mark of distinction for faculty. While such a system has…

Explores the definition and relevance of faculty scholarship in the community college. Examines positive and negative attitudes toward various scholarship criteria in the faculty-reward (promotion, tenure, salary increase, and release time) systems, and discusses concerns about scholarship as an additional facet of faculty evaluation. (25…

This working paper, one in a series about the priorities of the professoriate, explores what is known about campus initiatives with post-tenure review. Part 1 reviews institutional and systemwide policies and outlines operational characteristics, unifying principles, and implementation strategies. The information was gathered from published…

The trend toward extending nontenured faculty members' probationary periods beyond the traditional 6 years, is discussed, along with problems faced by faculty at the time of nonrenewal, implications for academic careers, and the issue of multiple standards for faculty evaluation within an institution. (MSE)

This report presents conclusions of a grant program of the Consortium for the Advancement of Private Higher Education (CAPHE) which provided grants to help the 22 participating institutions bring congruence between institutional mission and existing faculty roles and reward structures. Following an introductory section, Section 1 identifies and…

Discusses three interrelated policy initiatives at Georgia State University concerning faculty workload, the system for post-tenure evaluation, and salary equity. Each policy has ramifications for the others, and experience has shown benefit in an integrated, collegial approach to these issues. Also examines problems and benefits in developing and…

A survey of Canadian university policies concerning faculty evaluation found that institutions using evaluation for administrative purposes, with the student questionnaire the primary instrument. Peer review, written reports, and faculty interviews are also used. Differences between francophone and anglophone institutions and between eastern and…

Reports responses to an alumni survey designed to evaluate an undergraduate psychology program. Focuses on gender differences, evaluation of curriculum and faculty, and benefits of graduate study. Concludes that educational programs could increase occupational versatility of baccalaureates and that faculty advising of female students should be…

Design of a rating scale for pharmacy students' evaluation of instruction, differing from others in its incorporation of 10 dimensions of teaching unique to pharmacy education, is described. Two potential uses of the scale are use of the teaching dimensions in numerical scales, and scale use for providing teacher feedback. (Author/MSE)