The new uneasiness about what goes on in the Classroom is not dissatisfaction with the workings of the educational process; it reflects a loss of faith in the Western tradition. (Editor)

The status of faculty evaluation in optometric education and techniques contributing significantly to teaching quality are reviewed. Institutions are encouraged to provide incentives for faculty development with a favorable organizational climate and time. (MSE)

Faculty perceptions of student evaluative information collected by three methods (objective questionnaire items, open-ended questions, and group interviews) were investigated. Faculty regarded the evaluative information to be more credible, useful, and accurate for their own self-improvement than for promotion purposes. (Author/MLW)

Reports the first phase of a project to develop an instrument for student evaluation of college faculty that can be applied across the curriculum. Suggests that the evaluation process should begin by developing a model of teaching effectiveness. Outlines a procedure for developing an instrument to measure teaching effectiveness. (MM)

A survey of 31 instructional leaders in higher education investigated their perceptions of the importance of 26 teaching competencies in effective college instruction. Results confirmed that, for the most part, these competencies were considered essential and were found comparable to competencies identified for teaching assistants in previous…

Data from 1,251 student evaluations of instructors were used to rank faculty; rank order changed when learning outcomes, study production, and grade expectations were considered. Students expected high grades from teachers rated highly; those assigning more homework rated lower. Weighting instructor excellence, study and learning production, and…

A survey of 346 academic officers at 2-year colleges investigated the ways in which they honor faculty, selection methods, and perceived institutional benefits of teaching award programs. Suggestions for assessing an institution's methods of honoring exemplary teaching are outlined, using illustrations from the experiences of survey respondents.…

A faculty-developed, criterion-based merit pay plan is described in this paper. Participation among department members is voluntary, and peers allocate merit pay based on pre-established criteria. The plan includes three categories of expectations--teaching, scholarship, and service--which are evaluated at two performance levels--strong and…

The hypothesis that conventional approaches to evaluating contaminants in performance appraisal overlook important individual ratee effects was examined. A rating form was developed that consisted of the following dimensions and behaviors: warmth; guided discourse or indirect teaching methods; control of subject matter; enthusiasm and reinforcing;…

In response to a critique of teacher performance by student representatives on the faculty council (e.g. that professors were dull and stodgy, even readers of dull notes), the author offers guidelines on how to decide who is a good teacher, how much can be learned froma dull professor, and other basic considerations. (Editor/JT)

Five studies of the validity of student ratings of teaching are evaluated and one used as a model for further inquiry with the conclusion that they can provide useful information relevant to the improvement of instruction if methods of data collection and analysis are improved. An improvement plan is outlined. (Editor/JT)

THE INTER-INSTITUTIONAL TEACHING EXPERIMENT DESCRIBED DEMONSTRATES THAT FACULTIES OF SEVERAL INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING MAY WORK TOGETHER IN A COOPERATIVE PROJECT FOR IMPROVEMENT IN COLLEGE TEACHING. ALTHOUGH THIS COOPERATION IS A NEW AND COMPLEX FIELD IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION, IT IS HIGHLY USEFUL. THERE SEEMED TO BE MANY DIFFERENCES IN…

A 34-item student evaluation instrument designed to reliably measure major dimensions of college teaching effectiveness is presented. The student is asked to respond to such statements as "The instructor motivated the students" and "I would not recommend this course to a friend," by checking the response category appropriate (strongly disagree,…

This document is the written component of the final report of the SUNY-Oswego portion of a national education project concerned with the improvement of instruction and the evaluation of college teachers. A videotape on faculty evaluation is also considered by the author to be an integral part of the total report. The written report is divided into…

Before presenting the plan for the improvement of teaching in the colleges and universities of Oregon's state system, this report reviews: (1) the administrative structure of the state's institutions of higher learning, including the role and function of the president and other academic officers and some aspects of the physiology of the…