Formative evaluations serve the purpose of providing helpful comments to improve a faculty member’s
in-class performance and effectiveness. These evaluations begin in the first semester of teaching and
continue throughout a faculty member’s career. All faculty members regardless of rank or contract
length must have formative evaluations of their courses.







At least one course per faculty member per semester will be observed by another faculty
member. At least one class session, but preferably two, will be visited. The number of visits
may be increased if peer visit or student statements indicate areas for improvement for which
extra input and evaluation may be helpful.
It is the responsibility of the candidate to guide reviewers such that a variety of courses, levels,
course types, and stages of the semester are visited.
Formative evaluations begin during the first semester of employment. This includes visiting or
fixed-term positions.
Visits will be unannounced but cannot occur during the first or last week of the course.
Each faculty member must provide a syllabus for each course to the department with class
topics associated with dates so that the peer visit can be made on an appropriate date (not an
exam day, for example)
The reviewing faculty member is encouraged to meet with the observed faculty member to
discuss the class session prior to preparing the documentation.
Formative evaluations will be documented in writing, but are not included in a candidate’s file
for major reviews unless the candidate chooses to include them.
Summative evaluations serve to guide personnel decisions (such as hiring, tenure and promotion). All
faculty, with the exception of full professors, shall have summative evaluations of their courses. As per
the recommendations of H&S Faculty Senate (2011), the following protocol shall be followed for
summative evaluations:



These evaluations can only be conducted by tenured faculty members who are not co-teaching
the given course with the candidate. Candidates in departments with small numbers of tenured
faculty are particularly encouraged to invite tenured peers from outside the department to
perform classroom observations. Every effort will be made to have summative evaluations
performed by ENVS professors; however, ENVS affiliated faculty may be called upon to assist if
there are too many summative evaluations required for the tenured faculty to reasonably conduct
in a given semester.
One summative evaluation will be conducted per faculty member per semester, starting in the
second semester of their appointment. NTENs and candidates that have been granted years
towards tenure may be reviewed in their first semester.
Completed tenure files (or second major review files for NTENs) should include a range of courses
taught (including upper- and lower-level courses), spread out over the probationary period. It is
ultimately the responsibility of the candidate to guide reviewers such that a variety of courses,
levels, course types, and stages of the semester are visited.









The observer and the faculty member being observed meet prior to the observation to discuss the
goals of the class and the individual sessions.
One course will be observed with a minimum of two class sessions per semester. If possible, the
two sessions should be consecutive.
The observer will review the lesson plan and any instructional materials (e.g. handouts, web sites,
media, etc.) offered by the faculty member being observed.
The observation instrument generated at the department level will be used to ensure consistency
among reviewers.
In addition to in-class observation, peer evaluations of teaching should also take into
consideration other documents that address the quality and appropriateness of course content,
instructional techniques, assignments, assessment practices, and instructor expectations.
The two faculty members hold a post-observation meeting in which the effectiveness of the inclass instruction is discussed. This conversation takes place before a written evaluation is
completed.
The observer submits a formal letter or completed form in which s/he evaluates the in-class
performance. This letter/form will be submitted within two weeks of the visit.
The faculty member being evaluated will have the opportunity to submit commentary on the
evaluation in a follow-up letter.
In situations where the faculty member and the reviewer fail to communicate effectively, the
department chair may meet with both parties individually or together so that a clearer picture can
be attained.