[Vpaaetal] Faculty Evaluation

[Academic Affairs]

		Dear Faculty:

		The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has asked
President McFarland to make a presentation regarding our post tenure review
process at their meeting in December. The Board is concerned that we have
reported no faculty member with a rating of less than satisfactory in the
past five years.  I appreciate the fine work of the Faculty Senate in
reviewing the entire faculty evaluation process, and I look forward to
reviewing their recommendations.
		To assist the Faculty Senate in this process, I will be
authorizing the purchase of the IDEA Student Ratings of Instruction system
developed by Kansas State University. The IDEA Student Ratings of
Instruction system takes a positive approach to soliciting student input.
Rather than emphasizing the instructor's teaching techniques or personality,
the IDEA system focuses on student learning. No other nationally available
student ratings instrument provides more evidence of validity and
reliability. 
		This instrument will be piloted on our campus this fall
semester.  The results of this administration will not be used to evaluate
faculty. The same process that has been used by your department in the past
will be used for the annual evaluation.  The purpose of using this
instrument is to determine how we, as a university, compare with peer
institutions, to determine where our weaknesses are and what strategies we
should implement to assist faculty, and to gain feedback from faculty on its
usefulness.
		This issue was discussed with the deans at our meeting this
week. We all understand student ratings of teaching effectiveness is only
one criterion used to evaluate faculty, but we feel we need to pilot a
standardized student ratings instrument to assist us in strategic planning.
Each college dean will determine how many course sections taught by each
faculty member will be evaluated and will be communicating this information
to you. For your convenience, I am providing the URL so that you can learn
more about this instrument: http://www.idea.k-state.edu/
<http://www.idea.k-state.edu/> 
		I appreciate your cooperation as we pilot this instrument
and this process. I look forward to visiting with you after we receive the
results so that we can develop strategies that will assist you and our
students.


		Frank Ashley
	Interim Provost and Vice President
	Academic and Student Affairs




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