POL - 10.07.5 Teaching Effectiveness Policy
1. Purpose
The University of North Carolina Policy on Teaching Effectiveness (400.3.1) instructs all institutions in the University of North Carolina System to develop a policy on teaching effectiveness and to formulate processes “that ensure, recognize and reward teaching effectiveness.”
2. Scope
This policy applies to all for all faculty responsible for instruction. This includes full-time fixed-term, part-time, tenure-track, and tenured faculty.
3. Policy
Reviews for teaching effectiveness shall be conducted for all faculty responsible for instruction. For faculty with workplans, the review for teaching effectiveness shall be included as part of annual faculty evaluations, as well as reviews for reappointment, tenure and/or promotion, and post-tenure reviews.
4. Components of Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness
Annual evaluation of teaching effectiveness shall include the following components:
4.1 Peer Assessment/Observation of Teaching Performance
Observation of teaching performance (face-to-face and online) is required for at least one class period or module per semester for all non-tenured faculty members. Full-time tenured faculty must be reviewed once per academic year. Departments and colleges are encouraged to provide peer assessment of teaching to part-time faculty. In general, each instructor should be observed for an entire class period or equivalent online module component. If time permits, observation should occur on several occasions. The results of peer review are used to provide feedback to instructors.
Procedures for selecting observers must be included in the specific evaluation standards for each academic unit. The observers may be selected from within the department or from another department in a related discipline. The observers should be generally familiar with the subject area, have access to pertinent course materials such as syllabi, and they should be recognized as competent instructors and/or evaluators.
4.2 Student Feedback/Student Evaluation of Instruction
Student evaluations of instruction shall be administered for all classes at the end of each semester. Student evaluations are determined through the Student’s Ratings of Instruction (SRI), a standardized survey that has been developed by the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis, or another student feedback/course evaluation platform. The results of evaluations are used to provide feedback to instructors.
4.3 Peer Review of Course Materials
Peer reviews are more appropriate than student ratings in the assessment of currency and adequacy of course materials in meeting the course objectives. Peers should review course objectives, course syllabi, reading assignments, evaluation tools, instructional methods, and other teaching materials. One course per year should be reviewed for each faculty member with a different course reviewed each year until all preparations have been reviewed. The results of peer review of course material are used to provide feedback to instructors.
4.4 Self-Assessment
Self-assessment of teaching effectiveness provides an opportunity for faculty members to critically evaluate their own work and identify strategies for improvement. The assessment shall be a summative review of faculty progress towards goals and objectives and identify areas for additional support.
5. Outcomes of Evaluation
The outcome of the review for teaching effectiveness evaluation shall be incorporated into each faculty member’s annual evaluation. This includes full-time fixed-term, part-time, tenure-track, and tenured faculty. For tenure-track faculty, the outcomes will also be incorporated in the progress toward tenure appraisal. For tenured faculty, the outcomes will be incorporated into the progress toward post-tenure appraisal.
5.1 Satisfactory Evaluations
A faculty member who adequately satisfies their workload expectations, or the goals of the work plan, for teaching in the annual review period, shall be commended for their work, and shall be eligible for merit raises as a result of their teaching effectiveness.
5.2 Unsatisfactory Evaluations
5.2.1 A faculty member who does not adequately satisfy their workload expectations, or the goals of the work plan, for teaching in the annual review period shall develop, with the unit head, a faculty success plan.
5.2.2. The faculty success plan shall include specific steps designed to lead to improvement, a specified timeline of no less than twelve months, and a clear statement of consequences should improvement not occur within the designated timeline.
5.2.3 Faculty found to have teaching deficiencies will be required to complete professional development training with the Office of Faculty Professional Development, the Office of E-learning, and/or other professional development opportunities designed to increase teaching effectiveness as approved by the unit head.
6. Professional Development
6.1 Through the Office of Faculty Professional Development and the Office of E-Learning, NCCU shall offer professional development opportunities focused on ensuring teaching effectiveness and will encourage participation by all faculty.
6.2 As a proactive measure, unit heads shall encourage NCCU faculty members to participate in at least two professional development training sessions each academic year: one offered by the Office of Faculty Professional Development and one by the Office of e-Learning.