FACULTY COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION
GUIDELINES
Department of Criminal Justice
Comprehensive Faculty Evaluation Guidelines
Department of Criminal Justice
Fayetteville State University
The purpose of this document is to describe the annual report procedures for the
Department of Criminal Justice at Fayetteville State University. These guidelines are
based on the premise that the Department is dedicated to:
1.
High-quality teaching;
2.
Achievement in scholarly research; and
3.
Leadership in professional service to the University, to the community,
to the criminal justice profession, to the academic discipline, and to
society.
Promotion and tenure decisions will be based on how well candidates meet these
expectations and the needs of the University.
General Philosophy
Theory in Action
We believe that education is best when it serves a purpose and when the educator and the
student are consciously aware of that purpose. The specifics of that purpose may vary
from person to person, but the ultimate goal for us is to facilitate change through higher
education.
Practical (Praxis)
For adult learning to take place, it is essential to make education relevant to the audience.
Our journey into academics is grounded in real-life situations and experiences. Learning
does not only include obtaining knowledge about theoretical explanations and
organizational analyses, it is about applying knowledge and developing skills which
serve practical situations.
We believe that theory and the real world are dialectically
linked, with each one shaping the other; therefore, it is incomplete to learn only one
separate from the other. We seek to make the educational experience a rewarding and
productive exercise for learner and teacher alike.
Change Agents
One of those practical outcomes includes the production of change agents who have the
knowledge and skills to enhance their own environment.
We seek to instill in our
graduates the highly marketable skills of innovation, adaptability and insight. We want
to produce visionaries, able to imagine a world that fully embraces justice and equality, as
well as activists who are inspired to contribute to the accomplishment of this end.
Service
We hope to instill in our students, faculty, and staff a strong commitment to service. We
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embrace the spirit of putting our ideas, our research and our theories into action. We
believe strongly in scientifically rigorous, socially and politically aware, improvementoriented research. We also believe in sharing our knowledge and skills with the local,
state, national, and international community.
Theory in Action is not an empty phrase for us. It is a commitment to providing a quality
education that has substance and practical value to the student, the teacher, and the
community at-large.
Tenure and Promotion Philosophy
While achieving and maintaining a high standard of excellence requires expectations, it is
important to remember that the promotion and tenure process is not adversarial. Indeed,
the Department ideally would like to see all faculty succeed and excel, and the
Department will do everything reasonably within its power to mentor faculty and help
them attain their full potential. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of individuals to
demonstrate that they deserve promotion or tenure; it is not the responsibility of the
Department to demonstrate that they do not.
Leadership and vision are crucial qualities that we look for in our faculty. True leaders
possess the ability to chart new paths and the confidence to persuade others to follow.
Leaders are highly proactive and constantly look for and create new opportunities; they
act rather than react. Leaders care for the collective welfare of their colleagues and
institution, even when this requires investments of their own resources when necessary.
Leadership means focusing on their professions, their peers, and their institutions -- they
strive to set ever-increasing standards of sustained excellence. Through the promotion
and tenure process, the Department seeks to identify and reward individuals who will
serve as leaders, role models, and the foundations upon which the Department can build
its future.
Teaching Performance
There should be evidence of genuine and sustained commitment of the individual to
excellence in teaching, as well as evidence of a strong record of achievement in carrying out
that commitment. Solid evidence of effective teaching is an essential part of any portfolio
submitted to the Department Promotion and Tenure Committee. Such portfolio is expected
to contain:

Documentation of teaching (e.g., course syllabi and assessment templates) used to ensure
department, college, and university educational goals are being met;

Evidence of efforts to improve one’s teaching effectiveness, including evidence that the
faculty member has addressed areas of weakness indicated by student evaluations,
annual evaluations, peer review assessments, or other assessments of teaching
effectiveness; and

Evidence of contribution to departmental curriculum development or commitment to
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traditional, web-enhanced, and online course development.
The portfolio may be supplemented by additional evidence of a strong commitment to
teaching excellence, as deemed appropriate by the faculty member. Relevant items may
include evidence of:

Attendance at local, regional, or national teaching workshops (e.g., those offered by the
Teaching and Learning Center);

Teaching awards or other teaching-related honors, such as Teaching Fellowships or
Teaching and Technology Initiative Fellowships;

Peer reviews of teaching;

Continual dialogue and interaction with the students throughout a semester (with Emails, discussion boards, Blackboard, and Web pages being valid mechanisms for such
interactions);

Publication of journal and conference articles addressing questions of criminal justice
pedagogy;

Classroom materials developed by the faculty member;

Innovative or novel approaches to standard classroom material, and incorporation of new
technologies in the classroom;

Service on various examining committees, such as master’s comprehensive exam or oral
defense; and

Submission, funding, and management of grants and other funded projects to promote
criminal justice education, student research, implementation of new technologies in
teaching, and in curriculum development.
Scholarly Activities
A distinguished scholarly endeavor is essential to the provision of high-quality graduate and
undergraduate programs. Excellent scholarship also brings recognition to the Department
and the University and enhances its ability to attract good students, outstanding faculty and
research funding, which in turn supports the overall educational mission of the College and
the University.

Faculty members are expected to be actively engaged in original research and other
scholarly activities, which include the creation, evaluation, dissemination and
translation of knowledge.
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
Research productivity and other scholarly activities may include:
o The dissemination of empirical and theoretical scholarly work relevant to the
current scholarship and/or practice of criminal justice (e.g., publication of
articles in peer-reviewed journals, research reports to agencies, edited volumes,
monographs);
o The dissemination of research through invited lectures and oral and poster
presentations at local, regional, national, and international conferences and
symposia;
o Securing funding in research in criminology, criminal justice, or a closely
related field (e.g., including the submission, funding, and management of grant
funded projects); and
o The receiving of research awards, accolades, and other honors from local,
regional, national, and international professional societies.
Service Performance
Service is recognized as an important obligation for all faculty members. It includes service
to the Department, to the College of Arts and Sciences, to the University, as well as to the
criminal justice community and the general public.

Service to the University – Faculty are expected to serve their Department, the
College, and the University in a variety of ways, such as:
o The active participation in administrative committees (e.g. curriculum
development, faculty search, etc.),
o Participation in University Day.
o Serve as marshals in Founders’ Day, commencement, and convocation.
o The recruitment of students through outreach activities to regional schools and
justice agencies.
o The mentorship of students, including the writing of student letters of
recommendation,
o The organizing of co-curricular activities, such as hosting of invited speakers,
parents, and other visitors.
o Helping to establish and support student-led organizations, such as the
Criminal Justice Club, Alpha Phi Sigma, and the National Association of Blacks
in Criminal Justice.
o Submission, funding, and management of grants or other funded projects that
improve the technical infrastructure of the Department, College, and
University.

Service to the Criminal Justice Profession – Faculty are expected to offer their
expertise to justice agencies as opportunities to do so are available. Service to agencies
(e.g., police departments, departments of probation and correction, rape crisis centers,
community justice service providers) is a central component of criminal justice
academia. Service may include authoring or aid in preparing grants to fund agencies
or programs, evaluative services, consultation, expert testimony, and the conduct of
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research in service of an agency.

Service to the Criminal Justice Discipline – Faculty are expected to maintain active
membership and leadership in professional societies and to render service to those
societies through committee work, the organization of professional meetings and
conferences, serving as editors or reviewer for journals and funding agencies.

Service to the General Public – Faculty are expected to be available to serve the
general public whenever possible by providing informational and educational services
(e.g., speaking to the media in areas of expertise, offering presentations to schools and
community groups) when such services are requested.
Evaluation Procedure
Faculty in the Department of Criminal Justice will be evaluated annually on three main
factors: teaching, scholarlship, and service. These factors are weighted as follows: teaching
= 50%-80%, scholarship = 5%-35%, and service = 5%-15%. The chair and each faculty set the
respective weights for teaching, scholarship, and service by filling out a standard form at the
start of each academic year. These weights represent a faculty member’s work load
allocation in teaching, scholarship, and service. For each academic year, the Department
Chair uses a standard instrument to determine overall chair’s evaluation as a weighted score
of the faculty member’s average teaching score, average scholarship score, and average
service score.
The Chair Evaluation will include both quantitative and qualitative
components.
These guidelines for the Department of Criminal Justice have been approved by:
_________________________________________
Date:_________________
Lori Guevara, Chair
Department of Criminal Justice
__________________________________________
David Barlow, Dean
College of Arts and Sciences
Date:__________________
__________________________________________
, Chair
Faculty Senate
Date:__________________
__________________________________________
Date:__________________
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, Provost
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
__________________________________________
, Chancellor
Fayetteville State University
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Date:___________________