The Progress Report series is intended to convey to the public a sense of the steps Hampshire College has taken since its opening in September 1970. The reports represent progress on programs planned in specific areas of concern, such as this first one on employment by faculty contract. The progression of the steps illustrates the ongoing creation…

This study investigated the attitudes of faculty members toward the reliability and validity of student ratings and its uses for administrative purposes, i.e., promotion and tenure considerations. The effects of background and organizational variables were also researched. (Author/LMO)

To understand better the role of faculty development in training family medicine researchers, the characteristics of productive researchers, their training, and their work environment were examined. Areas reviewed were faculty development and evaluation, career development, professional socialization, organizational development, and faculty…

Faculty definitions of merit are analyzed through 417 recommendations for merit salary awards. The effects of the recommendation writer's academic characteristics on the case made were examined, and it was found that definitions of merit varied by academic discipline and rank, and teaching was generally less valued than research or service. (MSE)

Learning communities are becoming important components of faculty teaching responsibilities. This study addresses faculty's perceptions of its role as learning community participants. A survey administered in December 1998 to faculty (n=67) at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Central Florida focused on how they viewed…

The first of two papers summarizes results of a survey of students (N=707) at Southwestern Oklahoma State University during Spring, 2000 on their opinion of faculty evaluations. A majority of students believed that faculty evaluations are important enough to read carefully and respond to accurately, are administered in a manner which guards…

A study of first-year medical students' evaluations of faculty shows higher ratings for teachers following set routines in class. Caring for students and facilitating learning were seen as the most important teacher qualities. Regular, intermittent criterion-based observations were preferred to a single semester rating. (MSE)

What happens to student ratings of instruction after instructors are promoted from one professorial rank to another, and what happens when faculty exhaust all material incentives, acquiring both tenure and the highest academic rank? These questions are examined and instructor rating questionnaire is provided. (MLW)

Results from a survey of faculty members concerning their observations and opinions about the effects of student evaluation of instruction are presented. The respondents reported a definite reduction in morale and job satisfaction, and changes in various instructional practices (mainly reduced course work demands on students). (Author/MLW)

This article describes a study of 244 chief academic officers and 208 faculty leaders at community and technical colleges regarding the effectiveness of post-tenure faculty evaluation. Findings indicate that administrators were equally divided regarding its effectiveness, while 70% of faculty expressed uncertainty or negativity toward evaluation.…

At a large university, faculty ratings in five academic areas were collected from two groups of students using paper-and-pencil or electronic survey administration. The two modes yielded similar factor patterns, with ratings influenced by academic area but not survey method. Students felt more anonymous using the paper-and-pencil method;…

A study investigated the applicability of 2 American instruments for student evaluation of teaching for university students in China (n=367). Results indicated high internal consistency; items were generally considered to be appropriate and to distinguish clearly between good and poor lecturers. Every item was important to some students. However,…

This study was conducted to determine whether the educational degree of mathematics instructors at New York City Technical College was a significant factor in students' perceptions of teacher effectiveness. A 10-item student opinion survey was distributed to 738 students enrolled in 44 mathematics classes. Instructors with doctoral degrees taught…

A faculty evaluation technique was used to classify responses from open-ended evaluations to determine elements of university teaching that were of greatest concern to students and to determine the feasibility of comparing subgroups by instructor gender, class size, and school. Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID) was used--a form of course…

A study examined the perceptions of journalism educators regarding ethical conduct in the faculty recruitment process of journalism faculty. Data were gathered by means of a mail survey to a national sample of journalism faculty. Questionnaires were mailed to 490 journalism and mass communication educators with 407 responding. Every third name was…