Faculty Evaluation and Performance Counseling

Gwendolyn  Singleton,  Ph.D.  Florida  A&M  University  

 INSTITUTE  FOR  ACADEMIC  LEADERSHIP  

October  5,  2015  

Faculty Evaluations

 Assessment  of  Faculty  Performance  •  Teaching  •  Research  and  Other  CreaDve  AcDviDes  •  Service  •  Other  University  DuDes  

FACULTY  EVALUATION  &  PERFORMANCE  COUNSELING  11/5/15  

Purpose of Faculty Evaluations

•  To  help  faculty  to  improve  their  performance  •  To  improve  the  insDtuDon  

•  Used  to  make  personnel  decisions  – RetenDon  – PromoDon  – Tenure  – Salary  Increases  

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Faculty Responses

•  Concerns  – NegaDve  evaluaDon  – Unclear  criteria  – Unfair  assessment  – Misuse  of  informaDon  – NegaDve  outcomes  

11/5/15   FACULTY  EVALUATION  &  PERFORMANCE  COUNSELING  

Faculty Responses

•  Responses    – Fear  – Anxiety/trepidaDon  – Resistance  – Anger  – Blame  – Complaints  (formal  and  informal)  

11/5/15   FACULTY  EVALUATION  &  PERFORMANCE  COUNSELING  

Chair’s Responsibilities

•  Faculty  Performance  EvaluaDons  – Most  difficult    –  Important  responsibility  

•   Performance  Counseling  – Valuable  communicaDons  tool  – Regular  contact  between  chair  and  faculty  – Focus:  successes,  failures,  concerns,  needs  – Very  difficult  

       

FACULTY  EVALUATION  &  PERFORMANCE  COUNSELING  

ConfidenDality  

Document  

Chair’s Responsibilities

•  Handled  improperly  – Damage  relaDonship  with  faculty  members  – Decrease  Faculty  morale  – Decrease  Departmental  success  in  meeDng  its  objecDves  

– Grievances    

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What  Can  Chairs  Do?  

Evaluations Counseling

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REMOVE NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS

EVALUATIO

N!  

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COUNSELIN

G!  

Remove  EMOTIONS  from  the  evaluaDon  &  counseling  process.  

EMOTION-­‐FRE

E  ZO

NE  

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 It  isn’t  personal.  

Setting the Tone

•  Frame  the  process  posiDvely  •  Understand  the  process  and  purpose  •  Comfort/Acceptance  of  the  idea  and  process  •  ProducDve  and  supporDve  leadership  •  Faculty  will  likely  follow  your  lead  

11/5/15   FACULTY  EVALUATION  &  PERFORMANCE  COUNSELING  

Demystify the Process

CLEAR  CRITERIA  

BASED  ON  ASSIGNMENT  

PURPOSE  

CLEAR  COMMUNICATION  

DOCUMENT  

Our Education System “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

                         -Albert Einstein

DEFINE  CR

ITER

IA   AVOID  

“ONE  SIZE  FITS  ALL”  APPROACH  

TENURE-­‐EARNING  

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NEEDS  BASED  

ONGOING PROCESS

EMPOWER FACULTY

•  Mentoring  for  Junior  Faculty  •  Professional  Development  OpportuniDes  •  Recommend  Regular  Scholarly  AcDviDes  •  Faculty  Involvement  – Faculty  Department-­‐Aligned  Goals  (mutual  benefits)  

– Faculty  Self-­‐EvaluaDons  – Faculty-­‐Created  Improvement  Plan  

11/5/15   FACULTY  EVALUATION  &  PERFORMANCE  COUNSELING  

11/5/15  EVALUATION  OF  FACULTY  

PERFORMANCE  

?CHAIRS/DIRECTORS?  

FACULTY  EVALU

ATIONS  

PERFORM

ANCE  CO

UNSELIN

G  

THANK YOU!

Questions?

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