The Composition Program seeks to offer faculty support through its peer mentoring program. Faculty will either be placed in a group or select members of a group and share assignments and activities, ask questions, give advice, and observe each others' teaching. Once a year, all faculty will write up a peer evaluation for at least one other faculty member and submit it. The peer evaluation will then be a permanent part of the faculty member's departmental file. Each faculty member who is evaluated is also encouraged to write a response to the evaluation of their teaching if they feel it is necessary.
Non-Tenure Track Evaluation Policy
Approved by English Department Faculty 4/20/04
New Non-tenure Track Faculty
As has been the practice in the past few years, the coordinator of the composition program will mentor and visit new NTT faculty in their first semester and write an evaluation.
- These faculty will also be members of a mentoring group who will visit classes and talk about their experiences with other group members.
- During the first semester, NTT faculty will ask students for an evaluation of teaching practice.
- NTT faculty will attend pre-semester orientation and other comp program workshops and discussions.
Non-tenure Track Faculty Evaluation
Faculty who have taught in the Composition Program for more than a year must be evaluated annually. In an effort to widen the discussions we have about teaching composition and the scope of the evaluations, we suggest one of the following two models for these evaluative activities:
- NTT faculty might choose to be evaluated through a conversation and class visit by at least one colleague who teaches composition.
- NTT faculty can elect to be members of a small mentoring group (of 3-4 colleagues) who visit each other's classes and write evaluations.
For all NTT faculty we propose
- that the evaluation include the whole semester plan as well as the class visit and that the teachers and evaluators discuss good teaching practice in an end-of-the-semester staff meeting.
- that NTT faculty attend the pre-semester orientation and at least one composition workshop or discussion each year.
Suggested Criteria for Evaluation
1. Comments on syllabus design and course plan: do they reflect best current practice in teaching composition?
- Strengths
- Suggestions
2. How does the class plan fit into the syllabus and reflect the best current practice in the field? Describe class activities and their effectiveness.
- Strengths
- Suggestions
3. Comment on the interactions between teacher and students (clarity, questions and responses, involvement of students)
- Strengths
- Suggestions
Once you have completed your observation, please do the following:
- Submit the peer evaluation to the faculty observed.
- Wait for feedback regarding any suggestions for revision or questions that the faculty observed may have.
- Submit a copy of your peer evaluation to both Jessie Blackburn and the English Department administrative assistant. These can be either electronic or paper copies.
- The faculty member being evaluated is encouraged to submit a response to the evaluation if she feels it is important or necessary to do so.