University reward systems (i.e., tenure and promotion standards) can shape educators' behaviors and dedication to teaching. This study contributes to knowledge by conceptually mapping teaching evaluation standards through a thematic analysis of U.S. tenure and promotion documents from media- and communication-centric departments. The results…

To advance and encourage partnerships between institutions and their greater communities, academic reward structures must be designed in ways that support those who choose to leverage their expertise, resources, and time to engage with community in meaningful and mutually beneficial ways. This study investigates how school- and department-level…

Higher education institutions and faculty have vested interests in fair tenure processes. We explored perceptions of fairness from the perspective of faculty who did not obtain tenure. Our 22 participants indicated that they experienced organizational justice violations related to distributive justice (fairness of decisions), procedural justice…

Few things in the professional life of university faculty are more important than the tenure process. Achieving tenure provides the faculty member with the confidence that his or her position with the university will be secure for life. Politicians often criticize the tenure of teachers at all educational levels (Flaherty, 2017; Money, 2015).…

Discipline-based education research (DBER) is an emergent, interdisciplinary field of scholarship aimed at understanding and improving discipline-specific teaching and learning. The number of DBER faculty members in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments has grown rapidly in recent years. Because the interdisciplinary…

Just a few years ago, tenure appeared low on the reform list for state policy makers and district administrators, viewed as too hot an issue politically to challenge. But it was front and center in the 2014 landmark "Vergara v. California" lawsuit, which challenged teacher tenure and related policies. Yet whether to grant tenure or not…

While many universities have taken steps to recognise teaching in academic promotions, debate continues on the teaching criteria to be used and their evaluation. This article analyses the 10 criteria that inform the evaluation of teaching and eventual promotion decisions at a South African university: rationale for teaching, teaching methods,…

Over the past decade, teachers have seen changes in both their conditions of employment--from pay to retirement benefits--and their practice. Far too often, these policies have been made by people who talk "about" teachers, rather than talking "to" them. Last fall, Education Sector surveyed a nationally representative random sample of more than…

Many theories, methods, and practices are utilized to evaluate teachers with the intention of determining teacher effectiveness to better inform decisions about retention, tenure, certification and performance-based pay. In the 21st century there has been a renewed emphasis on teacher evaluation in public schools, largely due to federal "Race…

Public school teachers in the United States are famously difficult to dismiss. The reason is simple: after three years on the job, most receive tenure--after a brief and subjective evaluation process in which few receive negative ratings. In recent years, some school districts have experimented with changes in tenure rules. They seek the power to…

Criteria for retaining or firing a highly qualified faculty in higher education in many cases are vague and unclear. This situation is neither a comfortable, nor a healthy, both for the faculty and the administration. Stakeholders have enough reason to blame each other in the absence of transparent mechanism. This paper proposes a transparent…

This recent brief from the National Council on Teacher Quality is concerned with the question of what factors should be considered when school districts must decide which teachers to lay off during periods of tight budgets. Most districts, according to the brief, base these decisions primarily on long-standing "Last Hired, First Fired" teacher…

Whether a first entrant into the academic job market or a seasoned professional, career outcomes for marketing educators depend heavily on the evaluation process used at their institutions. This research explores the periodic performance evaluation process for marketing faculty members using data collected from a national sample of marketing…

One of the lightning rods in the discourse over teacher pay has been the question of "how much" teachers should be paid. What the "how much" debate does not directly address, however, is the question of "how" teachers should be paid. This paper attempts to help lay groundwork for a better understanding of what exactly teachers want in terms of how…

The key to tenure is evaluation; this paper is the result of dissatisfaction with the basic pattern of evaluation that prevails throughout California. The present Quality Control Model of Faculty Development is widespread, deeply entrenched, and grounded on assumptions and premises that are limited, obsolete, and contrary to the interests of…