39 Faculty Evaluation

North Idaho College evaluates all faculty using multiple data sources in accordance with the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges’ accreditation standard on faculty evaluation and as defined in Policy 3.02.21.  Please review the Procedure 3.02.21 for specific evaluation requirements for tenured faculty, probationary faculty, special appointment faculty, part-time credit faculty, full-time and part-time librarians, and full-time and part-time counselors.

Example Summative Evaluation for Tenure-Renewal 

Student Surveys

Student surveys are administered in the fall, spring, and summer semesters, based on Policy and Procedure 3.02.21. The Provost’s office will administer student surveys through the online survey tool EvaluationKit. In addition to the student surveys administered by the provost, faculty members are encouraged to routinely employ informal feedback techniques to assess their teaching effectiveness.

How do you access course evaluations?

Division Chairs will be provided a link at the end of each course evaluation period to the course evaluations for their division.

What should I do with the course evaluations?

Chairs should review course evaluations each semester looking for trends and professional development opportunities for faculty. Chairs should note both strengths and areas needing improvement. A practice of reading student comments can help chairs contextualize feedback, recognize exemplary teaching approaches, and identify instructors in need of additional support. Faculty should be encouraged to reflect on their student evaluations and be reminded that most faculty are not “born teachers,” rather effective teaching is a learned activity that requires continual improvement. If a pattern of poor course evaluations develops, encourage faculty to seek out professional development resources such as articles, workshops, and conferences that center teaching. Encourage faculty to identify a mentor and/or engage in peer observations.

The article, “Interpreting and using student ratings data: Guidance for faculty serving as administrators and on evaluation committees” (Linse, 2016) is a good resource for chairs. The article offers the following:

• Student ratings are student perception data
• Student ratings are not faculty evaluations
• Student ratings are not measures of student learning
• Student ratings are here to stay

Current Survey Questions:

Classroom Observations

Classroom observations provide an opportunity for feedback regarding an instructor’s presence and performance in the classroom.  Observations can be conducted at any time during the semester but should be scheduled in advance to accommodate the instructor’s schedule and lesson plans.  Observations are documented via the Observation Form, internet classes are evaluated using the Addendum Internet.  Observation Form, and Lab courses are evaluated using the Observation Addendum Lab form.  Division Chairs, Program Directors, and Deans are responsible for conducting regular observations of the faculty.

Example Class Observation Notice

Tip:  Ask provide faculty the class observation notice so you can go into the observation prepared. Adjunct faculty are to be evaluated in their first semester and every three years after that. Keep a schedule for evaluating adjunct faculty. Don’t forget to submit these observations to the Provost’s Office.

Committee Assignments:

Each faculty member is expected to serve on one institutional committee but will not be required to serve on more than two committees. Faculty members may volunteer to serve on more than two committees, but voluntary service does not qualify for additional compensation or adjustments to other duties. In cases where faculty have not agreed to serve on a college committee, the administration reserves the right to appoint, with no additional compensation, those faculty to one committee during an academic year. (Teaching Focus Procedure 3.02.34)

Faculty are responsible for notifying the chair and dean of all committees served each semester, the chair should compile a list of committees for each of their full-time faculty and share it with the dean.

Advising Assignments:

Faculty members will serve as academic advisors for students majoring in their disciplines and/or to meet divisional or college needs for general education advisors. The number of advisees may vary depending on the number of majors in a division and institutional need for general education advisors; however, the number of advisees assisted by a faculty member may not exceed 30 advisees, unless otherwise agreed to by the faculty member.
If it is necessary for a faculty member to be the advisor for more than this workload, adjustments in other responsibilities or compensation are required. Changes to the contract-specified standard workload require agreement of the faculty member, the respective division chair and dean, and the provost.
Responsibilities related to advising:

Faculty members are expected to:

1. 1. • Assist advisees in planning their class selections and course workload.
      • Respond to advising inquiries from assigned advisees.
      • Encourage and support student retention.
      • Assist advisees in exploring requirements for transfer degrees.
      • Inform advisees of educational and occupational opportunities as they present themselves.

Who makes faculty advising assignments?

Advising assignments are handled through Advising services.

How do chairs view faculty advising assignments?

You can view faculty advising assignments by MyNIC<Self-service<advising toggle from student to advisor.