developing a culture of evaluation and support for faculty success

Developing a Culture of Developing a Culture of Evaluation and Support Evaluation and Support

for Faculty Success for Faculty Success

Charlene Wolf-Hall: Charlene Wolf-Hall: Assistant Dean College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary StudiesAssistant Dean College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies

Wendy Reed: Wendy Reed: Associate Dean of the College of Science and MathematicsAssociate Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics

Agenda:Agenda:

Introduce policies 350 and 352 concerning annual Introduce policies 350 and 352 concerning annual faculty evaluationfaculty evaluation

Describe issues involved with evaluationDescribe issues involved with evaluation Activity: Making a good evaluation letter strongerActivity: Making a good evaluation letter stronger Discuss hard conversationsDiscuss hard conversations Activity: Practice a hard conversationActivity: Practice a hard conversation Establish a culture of departmental mentoringEstablish a culture of departmental mentoring ResourcesResources

Provost’s Meeting for Chairs and HeadsProvost’s Meeting for Chairs and Heads 22December 15, 2010December 15, 2010

Objectives: Objectives: Participants willParticipants will

Understand and implement policies 350 and 352 in Understand and implement policies 350 and 352 in faculty evaluation.faculty evaluation.

Recognize unconscious bias in the evaluation process.Recognize unconscious bias in the evaluation process. Implement new strategies to create a department Implement new strategies to create a department

culture that values mentoring.culture that values mentoring. Create clear job descriptions and effective evaluations. Create clear job descriptions and effective evaluations.


Introduce Policies: 350 and 352Introduce Policies: 350 and 352

Be aware of Be aware of Policy 350.1Policy 350.1, which states:, which states: 350.1.5 “….The department chair or head of an academic unit will 350.1.5 “….The department chair or head of an academic unit will

ensure that all faculty have job descriptions that are periodically ensure that all faculty have job descriptions that are periodically reviewed and updated. Each job description will be signed by the reviewed and updated. Each job description will be signed by the Dean, the Chair or head of the academic unit, and the faculty Dean, the Chair or head of the academic unit, and the faculty member and filed in the faculty member's official personnel file. member and filed in the faculty member's official personnel file. Each job description shall specify how a faculty member's Each job description shall specify how a faculty member's assigned responsibilities will be allocated among teaching, assigned responsibilities will be allocated among teaching, research, and service which will determine the weight to be given research, and service which will determine the weight to be given to each area of responsibility for tenure, promotion, and to each area of responsibility for tenure, promotion, and continuing evaluations.”continuing evaluations.”

350.1.6 ….“Evaluation criteria shall relate to a faculty member's 350.1.6 ….“Evaluation criteria shall relate to a faculty member's duties and goals and be appropriately weighted in accordance duties and goals and be appropriately weighted in accordance with the terms of the faculty member's contract….” with the terms of the faculty member's contract….”


Introduce Policies: 350 and 352Introduce Policies: 350 and 352

Become familiar with unit, college and Become familiar with unit, college and NDSU PolicyNDSU Policy, , especially policy 352 Promotion, Tenure, and Evaluationespecially policy 352 Promotion, Tenure, and Evaluation 352.4 Periodic Review352.4 Periodic Review

352.4.3 “352.4.3 “All full-time faculty will be reviewed annuallyAll full-time faculty will be reviewed annually….” ….” [[includes tenured and non- tenuredincludes tenured and non- tenured]]

352.4.5 “….Periodic reviews shall result in a written report to 352.4.5 “….Periodic reviews shall result in a written report to the faculty member being reviewed. The report shall state the faculty member being reviewed. The report shall state expectations and goals for the coming review period....”expectations and goals for the coming review period....”

352.4.6 “….Annual reviews of tenured faculty shall include 352.4.6 “….Annual reviews of tenured faculty shall include an evaluation of the faculty member's performance relative to an evaluation of the faculty member's performance relative to the current position description. For Associate Professors, the current position description. For Associate Professors, annual reviews must include specific recommendations to annual reviews must include specific recommendations to strengthen the case for promotion….”strengthen the case for promotion….”


Problem evaluations:Problem evaluations:

Careful of these evaluations which are unsupported and not Careful of these evaluations which are unsupported and not based upon criteria:based upon criteria:

I will not allow this person to breed. I will not allow this person to breed. Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat.Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat. Got into the gene pool while the lifeguard wasn’t looking. Got into the gene pool while the lifeguard wasn’t looking. A prime candidate for natural de-selection. A prime candidate for natural de-selection. This person has delusions of adequacyThis person has delusions of adequacy If you give this person a penny for his thoughts, you will get changeIf you give this person a penny for his thoughts, you will get change Since my last report this employee has reached rock bottom and has started Since my last report this employee has reached rock bottom and has started

to dig.to dig. This associate is not so much of a has been but more definitely a won’t be. This associate is not so much of a has been but more definitely a won’t be. Only opens mouth to change whatever foot was previously there.Only opens mouth to change whatever foot was previously there. Got a full 6-pack but lacks the plastic thing to hold it together.Got a full 6-pack but lacks the plastic thing to hold it together.


Issues important to evaluationIssues important to evaluation Begin with a strong letter of appointmentBegin with a strong letter of appointment Establish clear criteria for success (through PTE Establish clear criteria for success (through PTE

documents)documents) Articulate a clear process for evaluation (through PTE Articulate a clear process for evaluation (through PTE

documents, including processes for teaching and service documents, including processes for teaching and service evaluation, SROIs, as well as standards for research)evaluation, SROIs, as well as standards for research)

Help all evaluators develop an understanding of implicit Help all evaluators develop an understanding of implicit bias, what it is, how it works, and how to recognize and bias, what it is, how it works, and how to recognize and respond to it.respond to it.


Overview of unconscious biasOverview of unconscious bias Also called implicit bias and hidden biasAlso called implicit bias and hidden bias Definition: Definition: Be aware of conscious and unconscious biases Be aware of conscious and unconscious biases

in evaluation and mentoring; we all have them in evaluation and mentoring; we all have them (see (see Project ImplicitProject Implicit). Avoid gendered ). Avoid gendered language and its inherent bias when composing language and its inherent bias when composing letters of evaluation (letters of evaluation (Trix and Psenka, 2003Trix and Psenka, 2003). ). Make sure similar criteria are used for all Make sure similar criteria are used for all faculty, or for all faculty at particular ranks. faculty, or for all faculty at particular ranks.


Five common evaluation problemsFive common evaluation problems

Overly positive evaluations.Overly positive evaluations. Overly critical evaluations.Overly critical evaluations. Uniformly neutral evaluations.Uniformly neutral evaluations. Single event evaluations.Single event evaluations. Most recent event evaluations.Most recent event evaluations.


Improving letters of evaluationImproving letters of evaluation

Communicate the expectations.Communicate the expectations. Observe and document performance all year. Observe and document performance all year.

Give warnings and counseling when neededGive warnings and counseling when needed.. Review all available documentation. Review all available documentation. Write your letter based upon performance criteria. Write your letter based upon performance criteria. Be specificBe specific. . Stress the need to improve (and ways to improve). Stress the need to improve (and ways to improve). Give the employee his or her turn. Give the employee his or her turn. Summarize the evaluation. Summarize the evaluation. Be candid, be constructive, be caring, and be clear. Be candid, be constructive, be caring, and be clear.


Making a good letter stronger:Making a good letter stronger:

At your tables, please: At your tables, please: What are the ways in which this letter is an effective What are the ways in which this letter is an effective

annual evaluation? annual evaluation? What would you want a 4What would you want a 4thth year probationary faculty year probationary faculty

member to know about his or her performance?member to know about his or her performance? If you were the faculty member receiving this letter, what If you were the faculty member receiving this letter, what

would you know about your chair’s evaluation of your would you know about your chair’s evaluation of your performance?performance?

What would some effective revisions of this letter be?What would some effective revisions of this letter be?


Practicing a hard conversation:Practicing a hard conversation: Often, we avoid face-to-face discussions if we think they will be Often, we avoid face-to-face discussions if we think they will be

difficult. Communicating face-to-face is assures your message is difficult. Communicating face-to-face is assures your message is delivered and understood and is especially important if you are delivered and understood and is especially important if you are trying to change behavior and improve performance.trying to change behavior and improve performance.

Practicing a hard conversation:Practicing a hard conversation: Describe some hard conversations you have had to have with with Describe some hard conversations you have had to have with with

employees concerning performance evaluation. (Please don’t use employees concerning performance evaluation. (Please don’t use names.)names.)

Each table choose one challenging conversation and describe on Each table choose one challenging conversation and describe on the handout. Pass to your left.the handout. Pass to your left.

At your table, read the scenario you were given and practice At your table, read the scenario you were given and practice

strategies that might help you communicate constructivelystrategies that might help you communicate constructively..


Developing a culture of mentoring:Developing a culture of mentoring:

Describe NDSU mentoring-related resources—through Describe NDSU mentoring-related resources—through FORWARD, peer review of teaching, Gear Up for FORWARD, peer review of teaching, Gear Up for Grants, Pedagogical luncheons. Grants, Pedagogical luncheons.

Discuss what a culture of mentoring looks like.Discuss what a culture of mentoring looks like. Table discussion: Table discussion: ideas for no cost/low cost rewards ideas for no cost/low cost rewards

excellent mentoring. What does your department excellent mentoring. What does your department already do to support a culture of mentoring? already do to support a culture of mentoring?

Share tip sheet.Share tip sheet.


Cohort Mentoring ModelCohort Mentoring Model

December 15, 2010December 15, 2010 Provost’s Meeting for Chairs and HeadsProvost’s Meeting for Chairs and Heads 1414

Early-Career Faculty

Peers

Senior Faculty

Administrators

External Mentors

Community Connections

The ProgramThe Program Monthly meetingsMonthly meetings Speaker/Trainers twice annuallySpeaker/Trainers twice annually

Joey Sprague, professor of Sociology, University of Joey Sprague, professor of Sociology, University of Kansas. March 11, 2010. Kansas. March 11, 2010. Gender in the classroom, student biases and Gender in the classroom, student biases and

evaluationevaluation Mary Deane Sorcinelli, associate provost of faculty Mary Deane Sorcinelli, associate provost of faculty

development, University of Massachusetts, development, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Early spring semester…..Amherst. Early spring semester….. Mentoring, career developmentMentoring, career development


Common topics of interest to new Common topics of interest to new facultyfaculty

Getting startedGetting started ResearchResearch TeachingTeaching ServiceService PTE processPTE process Work & Life: Avoiding ImbalanceWork & Life: Avoiding Imbalance Maintain confidentialityMaintain confidentiality Evaluate what you need from this networkEvaluate what you need from this network Your needs will grow and change over timeYour needs will grow and change over time


Share tip sheetShare tip sheet

Communicate opportunities for organized Communicate opportunities for organized mentoring on campus.mentoring on campus.

Facilitate and encourage mentoring Facilitate and encourage mentoring climate.climate.

Recognize opportunity for reverse Recognize opportunity for reverse mentoring.mentoring.


Mentoring: table discussionMentoring: table discussion

Brainstorm a list of low-cost or no-cost Brainstorm a list of low-cost or no-cost rewards and/or recognitions for excellent rewards and/or recognitions for excellent mentoring.mentoring.

Share a list of things your department or Share a list of things your department or college already does to develop and college already does to develop and support a culture of mentoring.support a culture of mentoring.


List of resourcesList of resources Policy checklist (for issues surrounding Policy checklist (for issues surrounding

evaluation)evaluation) Evaluation tip sheetEvaluation tip sheet Mentoring tip sheetMentoring tip sheet Sample letters (Basic and improved)Sample letters (Basic and improved) Good Practice in Tenure and EvaluationGood Practice in Tenure and Evaluation (30 page (30 page

booklet from ACE and AAUP)booklet from ACE and AAUP) Copy of PowerPoint from presentationCopy of PowerPoint from presentation


developing a culture of evaluation and support for faculty success

Documents