THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

FACULTY SENATE

Senate Document Number 3010S

Date of Senate Approval 03/18/10

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

FWDC 4: Revision to Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness (Faculty Handbook 3.3.3.1.1)

Effective Fall, 2010

Rationale: Effective during the Fall, 2010 semester, UNC Asheville will transition to an electronic Student Rating of Instruction instrument. This revision changes the language in the Faculty Handbook to reflect that transition.

Revised Faculty Handbook 3.3.3.1.1

3.3.3.1.1 Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness

Student evaluations are to be administered in a minimum of 50% of all courses taught by full-time teaching faculty each semester of the regular academic year. Such courses include only UNC Asheville classes taught on campus where the bulk of the work is done in a classroom or laboratory setting and not independent courses and small research seminars. No class with fewer than six students enrolled at the time of evaluation should be used as one of the classes to satisfy the 50% requirement, though faculty are encouraged to evaluate all classes.  Part-time faculty must have evaluations administered in all courses they teach. The evaluation instruments are to be administered in class by a student who is to return the instruments to the appropriate department secretary or program secretary for disposition and analysis. The faculty member being evaluated is to be absent while the evaluation is being conducted.  [electronically, facilitated by the Director of Institutional Research and the Assistant Provost for Academic Administration. Emails with a link to the electronic Student Rating of Instruction (SRI) instrument will be sent to students during the last week of class] Evaluation instruments should be administered in the last week of class, to insure that students have the maximum amount of information and experience upon which to base their judgments.  The evaluation instrument should be given at the beginning of the class period to help alleviate respondent fatigue and to encourage thoughtful responses.

Departments/programs may in addition develop their own instruments for the evaluation of teaching and/or add items to the standard student evaluation form [SRI instrument].

While the evaluation results become part of the data reviewed for personnel decisions, the main purpose of the student evaluation is the improvement of teaching. Therefore, the faculty member being evaluated is to receive a copy of the evaluation results.