2.5 EVALUATIONS
2.5.1 DESCRIPTION OF FLEXIBLE WORKLOAD
Each member of the Roanoke College Faculty brings unique talents, strengths, and concerns to our common enterprise. The faculty personnel process seeks to encourage and support this diversity of gifts and interests. We affirm teaching to be the heart of our individual and common enterprise. Advising, like teaching, is a normal part of our workload. In addition, each of us participates to varying degrees, which often change over time, in professional development and college service. For many of us, service to the broader community is also vital.
At any one period in time, some of these activities will receive more emphasis and others less. The optimal balance for each of us in the context of departmental and college needs is worked out and agreed to by each individual faculty member and department chair.
To express the diversity which each department seeks to foster, department chair and individual faculty members annually agree on a balance which will enable each of us to do our best in the activities currently emphasized. As a part of that balance, each year the individual faculty member declares either professional development or service to be the secondary emphasis after teaching. Advising would be included under teaching, so that special contributions in advising would strengthen the teaching contribution of the faculty member.
At the appropriate times (pre-tenure review and tenure and promotion decisions) the Faculty Personnel Committee (FPC) evaluates the effectiveness of the faculty member with respect to the agreed upon workload balance.
In September, the faculty member and the Chair determine a Workload Plan. The Workload Plan consists of:
1. projected teaching and advising responsibilities for the two years following the current academic year
2. a declaration of secondary emphasis
3. any revisions needed for the current academic year
4. recognition of any other college-related activities (e.g. released time for administrative duties, sabbatical leaves)
The Workload Plan should be submitted to the Dean by October 15. Should circumstances warrant, Workload Plans may be revised at any point during the academic year.
2.5.2 PROCEDURES FOR ANNUAL FACULTY EVALUATION
The College regularly examines the quality of teaching and advising, professional development and service of the Roanoke College Faculty. Performance reports provide a mechanism whereby each faculty member informs the department chair of activities and accomplishments of the previous year. The chair carefully assesses performances, identifying strengths and pointing out any needs for improvement. The Dean of the College serves as evaluator of the department chair; administrative accomplishments are considered for chairs in addition to teaching and advising, professional development, and service.
When the Faculty Personnel Committee considers a faculty member for tenure or promotion, performance evaluations will also be used in that process. Evaluations are based on the academic year. Evaluation materials should be turned in to the Chair no later than May 15th. Faculty teaching in the May Intensive Learning Term should turn in evaluation materials to the Chair no later than June 10. The general procedure used is outlined below.
A. Faculty prepare evaluation materials. Evaluation materials contain self-evaluation and personal statements about:
a. teaching and advising;
b. professional development;
c. service
plus backup materials (see Section 2.6.3 in the Handbook) for each section.
B. Department chair rates faculty
Based on the content of the evaluation materials and his or her own observations, the chair rates the overall professional performance of each faculty member during the past academic year in the areas of:
a. teaching and advising;
b. professional development;
c. service.
C. Department chair prepares evaluation documents
Each evaluation document consists of the completed personnel evaluation forms and a copy of the Workload Plan.
D. Department chair reviews evaluation documents with faculty
The chair discusses with each faculty member his or her performance for the year. A copy of the evaluation document is provided to the faculty member.
E. Faculty sign evaluation document
Each faculty member signs the evaluation document to acknowledge that the review has been completed. If he or she wishes to take exception to the chair's review, a statement of exception can be included.
F. Chair forwards evaluation documents
Copies of the signed evaluation documents are retained by the faculty member and the chair, and a copy is forwarded to the Dean of the College no later than June 1. Copies of the evaluation documents for faculty teaching in the May Intensive Learning Term should be forwarded to the Dean of the College no later than June 15.
G. Dean reviews the evaluation documents