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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>To: Faculty and Professional Staff, A&M-Commerce<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>From: Academic Life Committee (R. N. Singh, co-chair), Faculty Senate<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Dated: September 27, 2006<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Subject: <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Addressing the Credibility
of Evaluation of Teaching<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Colleagues, we held an open hearing yesterday to discuss concerns and
ideas relevant to the process of evaluating teaching in our university for
annual faculty evaluation, promotion, and tenure. I am pleased to report that
we had a meaningful discussion on the topic at the hearing. On behalf of the committee
and my colleagues in the senate, I want to thank those who came and expressed
their views on a rather complex topic.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><u><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:
none'> </span></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><u><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>I am summarizing my notes below the
major points made at the hearing.<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Faculty role of
teaching has been recognized by faculty and administration at
A&M-Commerce as being 'central,' 'primary,'
and 'the most important' as compared to other areas of faculty
functioning.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=2 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><i><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>A&M-Commerce
Procedure # 12.01.99.R0.02: Annual Evaluation of Evaluation of Faculty</span></font></i>
spells out university wide criteria for evaluating teaching as recognized
in the A&M System Policy #12.01 as well as criteria that are to be
planned by faculty in each department for the purpose.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=3 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>While many departments
have followed the System's criteria and developed and diligently followed
own criteria and procedures for evaluating teaching, there are a few
departments that have heavily, arbitrarily, inconsistently, and in some
cases exclusively, followed only one or two criteria disregarding the
complex nature of evaluation of the teaching-learning process. That
problem needs to be addressed for enforcement by college deans and
department heads.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=4 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We may consider
including the entire teaching portfolio of faculty while evaluating their
performance in classrooms. Teachers' own evaluations, evaluations
made by peers in the department (consider at least two colleagues making
observations), and evaluation by the department head (who may visit
classes along with other peers, but may not directly evaluate) are all important
for helping the teaching-learning process become effective. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=5 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>It is difficult to
quantify the quality of teaching; non-quantitative indicators of class
performance may be considered.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=6 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The faculty senate
has generally been opposing a university-wide system of evaluation of
teaching by students. The development and enforcement of evaluating
teaching should probably stay at each department's level.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=7 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The evaluation of
teaching in courses by students seems to be useful, but in limited ways. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Reliability and
validity of evaluations done by students have been questioned in the
literature on the subject.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Evaluation by
students is likely to be correlated to factors such as students'
classification level, their GPA and performance, the grading process in
class, and how the student-evaluation process is done.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Narratives of
teaching performance done by students may by be useful to consider,
particularly looking for trends in students' comments (e.g., when
many students have consistently commented on particular problems in
teaching).<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ul>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=8 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We may consider
providing different weights to various criteria used for evaluating
teaching.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=9 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Evaluation of
teaching should also be used for formative purposes (e.g., faculty development).<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=10 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ranking faculty
members for teaching in each department seems to be unnecessary and ought
to be avoided. Unique skills of each faculty member should be focused on
instead.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=11 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We need to establish
a Center for Teaching on campus charged with faculty development.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The committee and faculty senate will be seriously debating issues
related to evaluating teaching in our university in next couple of months. I
again invite you to send in your comments and suggestions on the topic. Please
send me your e-mail (<a href="mailto:Raghu_Singh@tamu-commerce.edu">Raghu_Singh@tamu-commerce.edu</a>)
expressing views. All inputs will be held in the strictest confidence. Thank
you.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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