Evaluating Faculty Performance

Book excerpt: Written by experts in teaching and administration, this guide offers practical, research-based information for faculty members and administrators in search of new approaches for assessing and improving faculty potential. By recognizing that faculty evaluation can be a difficult, time-consuming, and costly process, the authors of Evaluating Faculty Performance have distilled existing evaluation practices into useful recommendations for strengthening the overall system. Offering numerous suggestions for improving evaluation methods, assessing program weaknesses, and avoiding common problems, the book Examines compelling reasons for developing effective and systematic faculty assessment processes Discusses how to create a climate for positive change by favoring performance counseling over performance evaluation Identifies the essential elements and best practices in assessment, while also revealing what not to do in evaluating performance Explains the value of the professional portfolio in assessment teaching, and offers advice on how to complete a portfolio Outlines key issues, dangers, and benchmarks for success in straightforward language Included are field-tested forms and checklists that can be used to measure faculty performance in teaching, research, and service. The suggestions for improving faculty assessment are clear and practicable—sensible advice for strengthening a process that is of increasing importance in higher education.