Teaching effectiveness is a primary component of the systematic process of professional development and evaluation as outlined in Article 22 of the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) Master Agreement (Exhibit 5.4.f.1).
As the primary professionals in the teaching/learning process of the university, faculty place continuous emphasis on the development and improvement of their professional competence and productivity. Professional growth occurs in areas such as effective teaching, scholarly or creative activity, and active involvement in the university community and professional organizations. Faculty scholarship and current knowledge of the discipline, together with a desire to improve pedagogy, are instrumental to good teaching.
The purpose of professional development is to provide for continuing improvement in teaching, in other student interactions, in the quality of scholarly activity and other service to the university and community. The purpose of evaluation is to provide faculty with information which will contribute to their professional development. The evaluation processes are intended to be supportive of a faculty member’s desire for continuing professional growth and academic excellence. This process contributes to various personnel activities and supports the interest of each faculty member to achieve continuing professional growth and to pursue the highest possible level of academic excellence.[1]
Faculty members who are seeking promotion or tenure are required to establish goals related to teaching and collect evidence/data on teaching effectiveness. The Professional Development Plan (PDP) is shared within the department, where colleagues are encouraged to provide written comments to assist in ongoing professional development. Written comments are also provided by the Dean. At the end of the evaluation period, faculty submit a written progress report (PDR), which provides an opportunity to reflect on their data from course evaluations and plan changes in their teaching strategies based on candidate feedback. There is a set schedule for the submission of PDP’s and PDR’s, established by the University president (Exhibit 5.4.f.2).