A summary is presented of an intensive assessment of the impact of a two-year effort to assist 30 colleges and universities to improve their faculty evaluation procedures. The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), supported by a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, worked closely with teams of faculty and…

A discussion of university faculty evaluation, a relatively new phenomenon in the United Kingdom, examines three models of assessment geared to personnel management, professional development, and consumer protection, and practical issues in their application. (MSE)

A study of the usefulness of time analysis as a method of teacher self-evaluation suggests that while the method can be of value, it raises major issues in department management, especially in British and Welsh public institutions. The implications for faculty accountability and participation in decision making are also examined. (MSE)

While frank evaluation of instructional improvement needs is an important element in faculty development, it does not work well in a highly evaluative climate. Developmental and evaluative activities can be integrated effectively with a long-range perspective; when periodic evaluations are required, administration should reward effort without…

A new instrument used at Cornell University (New York) for measuring the teaching activities of clinical medical faculty quantifies levels of teaching and allows comparison of diverse teaching activities, complementing qualitative measures of teaching. Units of activity are weighted to calculate their relative value. (MSE)

A Rasch model was used to detect and correct bias in Likert rating scales used to assess student perceptions of college teaching, using a database of ratings. Statistical corrections were significant, supporting the model's potential utility. Recommendations are made for a theoretical rationale and further research on the model. (Author/MSE)

A discussion of faculty portfolios as evidence of how college faculty spend their time, for purposes of evaluation and reward, looks at the range of legitimate faculty work, its role in distribution of rewards, criteria for judging quality and quantity, and collection, analysis and reporting of this information. (MSE)

An evaluation of the University of Colorado's posttenure faculty peer review process found that, although the process was successful in identifying faculty whose efforts might be reinvigorated through faculty development, the resources to effect change had seldom been forthcoming. The most useful aspect of the review was the most neglected. (MSE)

Reports on a study designed to assess whether mentoring experiences, or the lack thereof, influence the decision of faculty members to stay or leave. Respondents began tenured/tenure-track appointments at the University of Colorado at Denver between 1987 and 1991. Qualitative differences were found in the nature of the mentoring and the outcomes.…

Critically examines use of student opinion surveys (SOSs) at eight Australian universities. Finds that current SOSs are neither designed nor structured according to sound questionnaire technique and, used as part of a teaching evaluation system, they have serious flaws. Deficiencies include their use as the sole measure of teaching effectiveness…

Fifty-eight special education teacher preparation programs participated in this study which examined: (1) existing practices, policies, and levels of satisfaction about special education teacher program assessment activities and (2) methods used to assess student learning outcomes and faculty effectiveness. Internal and external program and…

This article outlines an action-oriented research project regarding the University of British Columbia's engagement with sustainability. In 1997, the University of British Columbia (UBC) created a sustainability policy that suggests all UBC students should be educated about sustainability. Using data from a series of in-depth interviews the author…

As part of a move toward data-driven decision making, the University Libraries at Virginia Tech made a commitment to evaluate library instruction systematically. During the design and implementation phase of the program, library faculty developed a variety of tools for evaluating teaching, tested them out, and consulted with educational experts to…

Many states have a disconnected body of laws regarding educator evaluation. Uncoordinated legislation can create problems with respect to evaluation, appropriate standards and methods to be employed, and implementation strategies. This paper describes Utah's educator-evaluation legislation to illustrate this phenomenon. Four statutory provisions…

In response to the Jarratt Report, British university faculty attitudes toward the use of performance indicators for evaluating departments and individual faculty members are examined. The probable direction of the administrative use of performance indicators is discussed. An interview schedule and additional suggestions are appended. (Author/MSE)