Provostial Guidelines for Developing Written Assessments of May 14, 2003 To request an official copy of this policy, contact: The Office of the Governing Council Phone: 416-978-6576 Contents 2. Criteria for Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness
3. Information Required for Evaluations Section III: 15, iii) from the Policy and Procedures on Academic Appointments Item 12b from the Policy and Procedures Governing Promotions A commitment to excellence in teaching and research is the core of our mission as a University. Our mission statement affirms the University's commitment "to strive to ensure that its graduates are educated in the broadest sense of the term, with the ability to think clearly, judge objectively, and contribute constructively to society." The central place of research and scholarship - the creation of new knowledge and our commitment to bringing that knowledge and the process of discovery to bear in teaching - continues to underlie all of our activities and to drive our academic priorities. The establishment of the Office of Teaching Advancement is one example of our institutional commitment to fostering teaching development, as are the services and programs that have been established divisionally to support mentorship and promote teaching excellence. The evaluation of teaching also constitutes a fundamental part of every professoriate-stream faculty member's career, through annual review, tenure and promotion decisions. It is therefore essential that divisions develop and communicate a clear indication of how teaching effectiveness is to be evaluated and what evidence should be collected annually to ensure the fairness and efficiency of this process. All faculty members will be expected to have at least achieved the standards for teaching competence listed in this document in order to be granted tenure and to maintain these as they progress through the ranks. The University of Toronto is a complex institution and, consequently, the guidelines developed in each division should reflect variations in academic programming and in the means of instruction used to stimulate and challenge our students' intellectual capacity. Nevertheless, some common guidelines that express our commitment to excellence in teaching and to a rigorous evaluation of teaching effectiveness for members of the professoriate should inform the evaluation process. Each faculty member should maintain a Teaching Portfolio, or dossier, which should be updated annually and serve as a foundation for the documents that will be required for the three year review, tenure and promotion. It should also be used as a reference for academic administrators when evaluating faculty members for annual PTR awards. The general advice that should be given to all faculty, especially junior faculty, is to keep any document that reflects success, experimentation and innovation in teaching. The material in the Teaching Portfolio should include, as appropriate:
This list is not definitive and will vary by discipline and from division to division. 2. Criteria for Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness A faculty member demonstrates capabilities as a teacher in lectures, seminars, laboratories and tutorials as well as in less formal teaching situations, including directing graduate students and counselling students. The guidelines for tenure and promotion prescribe in detail the procedures to be followed in the evaluation of teaching activities. The level of achievement deemed necessary will depend on the rank being sought. Accordingly, there will be some variation in the components and emphases of the documentation collected for each process, reflecting the different stages of an academic career. a) Evaluation of competence in teaching requires demonstration of:
These are the minimum standards required of all faculty members and which must be demonstrated in the granting of tenure. b) Evaluation of excellence in teaching requires, in addition to the criteria for competence, demonstration of some combination of the following:
For tenure cases that are to be based on excellence in teaching the level of involvement will go well beyond that of competence. 3. Information Required for Evaluations The evaluation of teaching must be as thorough as possible. The sources of information for the evaluation should include:
Section III: 15, iii) from the Policy and Procedures on Academic Appointments iii) Assessments of the Candidate's Teaching Ability Written assessments of the candidate' s teaching ability shall be prepared in accordance with guidelines approved for the relevant department or division. These guidelines specify the manner in which the division will provide the committee with evidence from the individual's peers and from students and will offer the candidate the opportunity to supplement his or her files. Changes to divisional guidelines must be approved by the Vice-President and Provost and reviewed by the Academic Board. Item 12b from the Policy and Procedures Governing Promotions Written assessments of the candidate's teaching effectiveness will be prepared, in accordance with guidelines approved for the relevant department or division, and presented to the Promotions Committee. These guidelines specify the manner in which the division will provide the committee with evidence from the individual's peers and from students, and will offer the candidate the opportunity to supplement his or her file. Changes to divisional guidelines must be approved by the Vice-President and Provost and reviewed by the Academic Affairs Board. |