Policies and Procedures
COVER SHEET
| Policy Title: | 631 - Student Evaluations of Faculty and Courses |
| Type of Policy: | Modification of an existing policy . |
| Draft Number and Date: | |||
| President's Council Sponsor: | Ian Wilson | Ext. | 8239 |
| Policy Steward: | Kathren Brown | Ext. |
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| Title | Student Evaluations of Faculty and Courses | Number | 631 |
| Section | Academics | Approval Date | |
| Subsection | Faculty | Effective Date |
1.1 Utah Valley University expects teaching excellence. To accomplish this goal, input from students is critical. Student evaluations of faculty and courses are one of several tools used to assist in the annual review, mid-term review, tenure review, and promotion of faculty. In addition, information from student evaluations of faculty and courses are used to help improve the quality of courses taught by a faculty member or the quality of the curriculum offered by the department/college/school.
2.1 UVU Policy 635 Faculty Rights and Professional Responsibilities
2.2 UVU Policy 637 Faculty Tenure
2.3 UVU Policy 638 Post-Tenure Review
3.1 Evaluation instrument: A standard university-wide qualitative and/or quantitative student evaluation of faculty and courses used to help evaluate teaching and courses.
3.2 Faculty Development Committee (FDC): A Faculty Senate committee chaired by a faculty senator with one representative from each academic college/school.
4.1. A standard institution-wide evaluation instrument administered by the Office of Academic Affairs shall be used as one of several tools for the evaluation of all faculty members and courses at Utah Valley University.
4.2 All evaluation instruments shall be collected and used to help assess faculty members and to assist in midterm, tenure, and post-tenure review decisions. Department chairs will utilize input from student evaluations of faculty as one of the factors in considering whether teaching appointments with adjunct faculty and lecturers should be renewed.
4.3 Results of the evaluation instruments are the property of the University and are confidential.
4.4 Aggregates of student evaluations of faculty and courses shall be publically released.
4.5 Evaluation data of specific courses and instructors shall be released to the individual faculty members. The following individuals have access to the faculty member’s evaluation results: the faculty member’s supervisor/chair, the RTP committee, the dean of the faculty member’s college/school, the VPAA or his or her designee, the President, and the Board of Trustees.
4.6 The faculty member has the right to release his or her data to any individual he or she deems appropriate.
4.7 Colleges/schools, departments, and programs shall not use alternative evaluations to replace the efforts of the university-wide evaluation instrument. Departments or faculty wishing to supplement the evaluation instrument must obtain approval from the dean and the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA).
4.8 The University shall develop and implement methods to obtain appropriate student participation in the evaluation instrument. Accommodations will be made for students with disabilities in accordance with Accessibility Services procedures.
5.1 Content of the Evaluation Instrument
5.1.1 Changes to the content of the evaluation instrument shall be determined collaboratively among Faculty Senate, UVUSA, and the VPAA. Replacement of or revisions to the content of any current evaluation instrument shall require the approval of Faculty Senate and the VPAA or his or her designee. The VPAA or his or her designee shall implement the evaluation instrument.
5.1.3 Evaluation instruments may include questions to gather both qualitative and quantitative data.
5.2 Administration of Evaluations
5.2.1 All faculty, full-time and adjunct, shall be evaluated by students using the evaluation instrument, in all courses taught, regardless of delivery method, every semester. Data shall be consistently gathered each semester, including summer sessions.
5.2.2 Students shall participate in the evaluation process by completing the evaluation or by opting out through official means provided within the evaluation instrument.
5.2.3 Faculty may use appropriate methods to encourage full student participation in the evaluation instrument.
5.3 Access to the Evaluation Instrument Results
5.3.1 Results of the evaluation instruments are the property of the University and are confidential. The following individuals have access to the faculty member’s evaluation results: the faculty member, the faculty member’s supervisor/chair, the RTP committee, the dean of the faculty member’s college/school, the VPAA or designee, the President, and the Board of Trustees. The faculty member may release his or her evaluation results to any institutional entity.
5.3.2 Non-supervisory personnel, excluding appropriate Information Technology (IT) personnel, shall have access to an individual faculty member’s evaluation results only upon written and dated permission from the faculty member.
5.3.3 IT personnel who have access to the evaluation results as part of their duties shall treat data with confidentiality.