Faculty Evaluation
Department Chairs are responsible for evaluating all faculty members, full
time or part time, who participate in departmental programs, credit or
noncredit.
Policy
152.2, “Evaluation of Faculty,” states that Furman University uses
evaluations of faculty members as a basis for decisions concerning
salary increases.
In conjunction with other pertinent data,
evaluations are also used in decisions about promotion, tenure, renewal of
contract, nonrenewal of contract, or termination.
Each faculty member should be evaluated
regularly on the bases of teaching effectiveness, professional activity, and
institutional service. The Chair’s evaluation (Part II of the Faculty
Evaluation Form) should be shared with the faculty member.
The faculty member should be given a chance
to meet with the Chair to discuss the evaluation.
Chairs should review annually the Faculty
Status Committee’s “Evaluation of Faculty Memorandum.”
The Chair should be familiar with the
following evaluation policies.
Tenured faculty evaluation: An evaluation of tenured faculty will be
conducted every other year (due in September of odd-numbered years) based on
the previous two contract years.
See
Policy 152.2 for the evaluation procedures.
Probationary faculty evaluation: An evaluation of untenured faculty
will be conducted annually based on the previous contract year. See Policy
152.2 for the evaluation procedures.
First-year faculty evaluation: Faculty in their first year will be
evaluated early in Spring term by the department Chair and Dean of the
Faculty.
See Policy 152.2 for the
evaluation procedures.
Be sure that the
evaluation includes classroom observations by the Chair.
Part-time faculty evaluation: All part-time faculty will be evaluated
by the Chair according to criteria consistent with the duties specified in
their contracts.
Evaluations will be
considered by the Dean of the Faculty in decisions concerning contract renewals
and increases in compensation.
See
Policy 157.1, “Part-time Faculty.”
Pretenure:
As described in
Policy 157.4, “Probationary Appointment,” a pre-tenure review will be conducted
for all probationary faculty members appointed with fewer than three (3) years
of credit toward tenure. The purpose of this review is constructive evaluation
of the faculty member's progress towards fulfilling the criteria for tenure.
Normally, this review will occur during the third year of a probationary
faculty member's employment. However, for faculty members appointed with two
(2) years of credit toward tenure, this review will be conducted in their
second year at Furman. No pre-tenure review will be conducted for faculty
members appointed with three (3) years or more of credit toward tenure.
Procedural guidelines for conducting a
pre-tenure review are found in Policies 157.4 and 158.4.
Tenure:
Policy 158.4,
“Tenure,” states that a full-time faculty member on probationary appointment
must be considered for tenure during the sixth year of full-time teaching with
the rank of instructor or higher in four-year accredited colleges or
universities. (Years of credit toward tenure are determined by the Chair and
the Dean and indicated in the initial contract.) At least three of these years
must have been at Furman. In those cases in which fewer than three of these
years have been at Furman, the decision will be postponed until the third year
at Furman. An exception shortening the required probationary period may be
established as a part of one's initial appointment at Furman, but only with
concurrence of the Dean of the Faculty and a majority of the tenured members of
the academic department of the appointee.
See Policy 158.2, “Tenure,” and Policy 157.3, “Promotion,” for evaluation
procedures of tenure candidates.
Promotion: Policy 157.3 states that promotion from one rank
to
another is intended to recognize and encourage professional achievement
on the
part of the faculty member as well as to acknowledge significant
service to the
university. The judgment of faculty peers and administrators is an
important
factor in decisions on promotion. A faculty member is eligible to apply
for promotion to the next higher rank when that faculty member's
academic preparation, professional competence and stature, and quality
and duration of service are consistent with the expectations of that
rank as established in the guidelines of
Policy 157.8.
Guidelines for applying for promotion are found in
Policy 157.3.
If the Chair is
of the same or lower rank than the promotion candidate, the Dean will appoint a Chair to preside over the promotion process.