The Need-to-Know List for Faculty Evaluating Tenured (Peer) Faculty

This list will be updated as revisions or corrections are needed.

Overview

Full-Time tenured faculty members are evaluated once every three years, unless an out-of-cycle evaluation has been requested by the Department Chair.

The standard Tenured (Peer) Faculty evaluation consists of:

Access: Tenured Faculty Evaluation Documents and Checklist

Out-of-Cycle Evaluations

The Department Chair/Director may request out-of-cycle evaluations during any semester of service due to documented concerns in consultation with the TERB Coordinator and the Dean. These evaluations shall be conducted using all elements of Tenured (Peer) Out-of-Cycle Evaluation Checklist. For more information or to request an out-of-cycle evaluation, please review the Out-of-Cycle Evaluations page.

3 Steps to Completion

Step 1: Preparation- Peer Review Committee (PRC) and Course Selection

• Peer Review Committee (PRC)
  • Per contract, the Department Chair chooses the PRC Chair, and the tenured evaluee chooses the second member of the committee
    • Only tenured faculty may serve on a PRC.
    • The Department Chair provides the TERB Office with the name of the PRC Chair.
    • The tenured evaluee submits the Peer Review Committee Composition and Information Form to inform TERB of the second member and the courses to be evaluated.
  • The Tenured (Peer) Faculty member may challenge the PRC Chair and/or Second with a written statement to the TERB Committee, submitted it to the TERB Coordinator. As such, some Department Chairs find it expedient to consult with the Tenured (Peer) Faculty member regarding the PRC Chair, but that is not required.
  • Note: For out-of-cycle Tenured (Peer) Faculty evaluations, TERB appoints an additional faculty member from outside the department to the PRC.
• Course Selection
  • The Tenured (Peer) Faculty member chooses the class they want observed and communicates the course to the PRC.
  • The Tenured (Peer) Faculty member chooses what classes they want student evaluations for and communicates that to the PRC and communciates the courses to the TERB Office using the Peer Review Committee Composition and Information Form.

Step 2: Conduct the Evaluation

• Student Evaluations
  • The TERB Office sends out the electronic student evaluations between about 50-75% of the course.
  • As of March 2020, Palomar no longer has a paper-based or scantron-based evaluation system, all student evaluations are conducted electronically for all modalities.
  • For face-to-face classes, on the day of the course observations, the observer can have the evaluee step outside and use a few minutes to explain the importance of student evaluations, provide an opportunity for students to ask questions, and encourage them to complete the evaluation by having them take out their devices and show them how to access the evaluation (they get an email notification and Canvas dashboard notifications with the link).
  • There are special circumstances where evaluations cannot be tied to the student roster, when this happens, TERB works with the PRC to determine the best options.
• Course Observation
  • One PRC member conducts a course observation. The observers’ role is just to observe. There should be no interaction with students, Evaluee, or any class activities.
  • The method of observation is intended to be collaboratively and collegially decided upon between the evaluator and evaluee.
  • The faculty evaluator conducts the classroom/workplace observation using the classroom/workplace observation form during the observation/evaluation window (usually October/March for full semester classes). See calendars for timing for other courses–but you’re aiming for the middle of the term for observations and evaluations.
  • Two options for Online Course Observation:
    • Gain Canvas access to the evaluee’s online course and observe the course for a maximum of two weeks (including watching a live course if one occurs during the two week window). Evaluators hoping to watch a live course are encouraged to opt for this option.
    • Sit down with the evaluee and look through the online course with the evaluee while asking questions relevant to the observation (any recordings available on the online course can/should be viewed).
  • The Evaluee and Observer should meet soon after the observation to note positive observations and constructive criticism based on the observation. Please don’t leave an evaluee hanging with anxiety by not sharing some thoughts from the observation in a reasonable timeframe following the observation.
• Professional Development Transcript is sent to the PRC by the Evaluee.
• Self-Evaluation is sent to the PRC by the Evaluee.

Step 3: Complete Final Evaluation Report

• The TERB Office sends the course evaluation reports to the PRC.
• The PRC uses the course evaluation reports, class observation form, PD transcript, and self-evaluation to write the final evaluation report.
  • Each discrete item in the report gets a separate rating. The final rating is not necessarily an average of the discrete items. Instead, the final rating is the evaluation of the Tenured (Peer) Faculty member’s overall performance–using information from all the items.
• When the report is complete, the PRC submits the report to the TERB Office using the Peer Evaluation Report Submission form.
• Signatures and Evaluation Review:
  • The TERB Office will route the final evaluation report for all required signatures.
  • The PRC meets with the Tenured (Peer) Faculty member to review the final evaluation report. This meeting typically occurs after grades are submitted, however if no student comments are included in the report, the PRC may meet with the evaluee before grades are posted.
• The evaluee has 10 business days from the date of their signing to write a response and submit it to the TERB Coordinator. Upon request from the Tenured faculty member, the TERB Coordinator can provide the response to anyone else. The response becomes part of the evaluation packet.
• If the Tenured (Peer) Faculty member receives rating of “Needs Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory,” the PRC and TERB and the evaluee will develop an Improvement Plan and process that can last no longer than two years–with a fresh evaluation happening each semester of those two years until an overall “Standard” or higher rating is achieved. Please give specific notification to the TERB Coordinator when this occours.