Issues in the debate over student evaluation of college faculty are discussed, including appropriate measures of teaching effectiveness, reasons for assessing teaching, reliability and validity of student ratings, and how assessments are conducted. Guidelines for implementing a system of regular, institutionwide evaluations are outlined. (MSE)

Performance evaluation used for both faculty and librarians for 2 years included rating of performance standards, professional achievement, and auxiliary services. After careful application to ensure equitability of the original and revised forms, faculty questioned the implications of emphasis on research and publication, achievement, salaries,…

Issues in the introduction of performance appraisal of individual academic staff members are examined from the viewpoint of general management theory and practice. Benefits to the faculty and institution and the potential for abuse of the procedures and results are discussed. (MSE)

Examines use of collaborative college faculty peer review for instructional improvement. Establishes rationales for formative evaluation of teaching, peer review in instructional improvement, and comprehensive faculty evaluation that includes peer review. Examines roles faculty might play in assessing colleagues' teaching; describes five methods…

The report, prepared by the American Association of University Professors' Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, outlines new proposed policy on posttenure review of faculty. It presents arguments for and against the practice, discusses its use for dismissal purposes, offers guidelines for establishment of a system for periodic evaluation of…

Of 40 course directors leading the same dental school course for 4 years, 9 sought professional development assistance after receiving student course evaluations. When compared with a matched group of faculty not seeking consultation, this group received significantly higher student ratings in the next three years. (MSE)

Looks at the validity and value of performance indicators used to allocate resources among and within British universities. Questions the relationship of performance indicators with actual quality of research and teaching. Considers the limited role of such indicators within a more appropriate system of appraisal. (Author/LS)

Teaching portfolios provide college faculty and department chairs with the means to recognize good teaching and promote the values of the discipline. Portfolio content should include information on what is taught and why, documentation of teaching strategies, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and a teaching improvement plan. (MSE)

The author proposes that the unique benefit of self-evaluation for college faculty is the close involvement it gives the teacher in considering the effectiveness of their own teaching. Different methods of self-evaluation are considered, and a technique involving keeping a course log that has been found successful is explained. (Author/MSE)

This article argues that higher education's current preoccupation with student evaluations of teachers encourages student passivity and disregards the importance of the contribution learners must make to learn; students who grade faculty for four years are being taught to blame someone else for their failures. (MSE)

The University of Hawaii posttenure review focuses on collegial professional standards rather than salary. By administration-union agreement, chairpersons apply departmental expectations to assess deficiencies, subject to final adjudication by a peer committee. Individual remediation plans emphasize faculty development. The process is seen as…

Perhaps the most obvious example of innovation in faculty performance is the adoption of new technologies for research. Both administrators and faculty have expressed concern about the role that electronic publications play in their research evaluation processes, particularly in business schools, where scholarly publication is often emphasized…

Course management systems (CMSs), such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, or WebCT, have become a common resource at universities, colleges, and distance learning organizations. Research into how these systems are used for learning is in an early state. Currently, this research focuses on technical features in a CMS more than research about how people…

To make merit-pay plans work, a district's teacher-evaluation system must be both summative and formative--evaluating both for teacher outcomes and for progressive improvement. Only peer-mediated self-appraisal systems seem able to meet such a challenge. Fairly rewarded merit-pay plans depend on accurate teacher evaluations. However, teacher…

A consultation method for analyzing and improving college instruction is described, along with views about the program by 10 faculty participants. The method employs two consultants and is based solely on individual consultation, teaching observations, and detailed critique. An initial meeting with the instructor addresses the individual's…