| |
 |
Handbook
Section B
APPOINTMENT
AND RENEWAL CRITERIA
1.
Teaching Faculty: Criteria for Hiring, Reviewing, and Tenure
No single statement can fully capture the qualities we value most in present
and prospective members of Earlham’s teaching faculty. Still, it is important
that we describe for new faculty the criteria by which they were appointed
and by which they will be evaluated for contact renewal and tenure.
The following four criteria do not constitute a simple
check list but are intended as a single, articulated set of guidelines
to be used in evaluating teaching faculty up for review. We strive
to make reasonable and equitable judgments based on these four criteria.
While four criteria are relevant in all decisions regarding the appointment,
renewal and tenure of teaching faculty, the four may not weigh equally
in every case. Despite the variability noted above, one principle
remains constant: teaching effectiveness is the most important of
the four criteria, and weakness in this area cannot be compensated
for by excellence in any or all of the other three areas. In addition
to the four criteria that speak to a faculty member’s performance
and fit with broader institutional needs, the College may find it
necessary on some occasions to invoke other considerations. For example,
on rare occasions the Board or the President has limited the number
of candidates who can be renewed or tenured in a given year for financial
or other reasons.
2. Description of the Four Criteria for Teaching
Faculty
a. Teaching Effectiveness
Faculty Affairs Committee assesses teaching effectiveness
by consulting and evaluating evidence in the faculty member’s
renewal or tenure file. (See
handbook section E.2.b for a list of material relevant to teaching
that a candidate may include in her/his file).
FAC strives to discern the effectiveness of a
faculty member’s teaching as it manifests itself not only
in the classroom or laboratory but also in multiple campus and
off campus educational settings with students.
Teaching effectiveness is not amenable to precise quantification nor reducible
to any simple list of qualities. Effective teaching can take many forms,
including the clear presentation of important content and concepts, guidance
of student discussion-led classes, open-ended exploration of ambiguities
in texts, and collaborative learning. Leadership on off-campus study programs
and advising may also offer important teaching opportunities. Whichever teaching
strategy a candidate employs, however, students of all abilities should be
challenged to do their best work. Good teaching should be intellectually
stimulating, engage students in their own learning, and encourage students
to develop their own questions as well as answers. We expect students to
gain exposure to the methods appropriate to disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary
study, to use tools of analysis, to develop good writing and quantitative
skills. We look for evidence that students not only master content, though
that is important and extremely so in particular fields, but also learn to
formulate their own ideas and develop critical research, reading and thinking
skills.
Effective teaching shows not only in class,
but also in course design and the nature of assignments. Further,
it entails ongoing reflection by the faculty member on what
works well and what ought to be modified. We therefore look
for evidence that candidates have taken seriously the feedback
they may have received from students and others and have responded
constructively. We emphasize that constructive response does
not mean agreeing with or yielding to all criticism.
In addition to the quality of the classroom
and laboratory/studio/field learning, characteristics for which
we look include –
Interest and involvement in the assessment
and improvement of one’s own teaching practices.
Competence in and knowledge of one’s
subject matter, as judged by peers on and off campus.
Capacity to promote student learning beyond
the classroom.
Integrity and fairness as a teaching professional.
Challenging students of all abilities to do
their best.
Contributions to student learning through
collaborative research and scholarship with students.
b. Quality of Mind
Assessing a teacher’s quality of mind involves
a complex judgment by peers and others. Some indictors of quality
of mind are:
Intellectual
sharpness and vitality as evidenced by the quality of such
things as continuing studies, research, creative work, public
lectures, publications; breadth and depth of intellectual
interests and competencies, and the capacity to place knowledge
and skills into significant context; grant writing; interdisciplinary
interests and activities; regular involvement in professional
scholarly and educational societies and organizations; and
the quality of one’s contributions to intellectual discourse
with students and peers
c. Contributions to the Community
A teacher’s involvement with the College
community extends beyond the limits of the classroom. Teachers
are academic advisors, departmental colleagues, members of committees
and of the faculty meeting, and participants in the governance
of the College. A teacher’s contributions to our community
take many forms. For example:
Constructive participation in faculty meetings,
departmental meetings, and college and consortial committees
and communications; helpful and generally supportive relationships
with colleagues; responsible academic advising of students;
support and counseling of students beyond immediate academic
matters. Also valued are participation in or attendance at
College functions and events, such as lectures, athletic events
and fine arts performances; participation in interdepartmental,
summer and off campus programs, service to larger communities
such as Richmond, Wayne County, and regional, national and
international committees and organizations.
d. Institutional Fit
Institutional fit addresses a faculty member’s
compatibility with the College’s curricular needs and with
Earlham’s mission as a Quaker liberal arts college. The
fit between a particular faculty member’s interests, skills
and areas of expertise and the needs of the college may change
over time. Where the faculty member’s interests and areas
themselves change, we expect the faculty member to be in dialog
with relevant departments and programs and the Academic Dean
to come to mutually acceptable understandings about the faculty
member’s roles. When the needs of departments, programs,
or the College change in a way that allows for advance planning,
any faculty member whose position is affected will be involved
in discussions about those changes as a member of the department
or program in question. Further, when FAC is aware of changes
in department or program needs that bear on renewal or tenure,
candidates will be informed of such potential changes in curricular
emphases in their renewal minutes.
Institutional fit implies that faculty share an
understanding of and support for the basic mission of Earlham,
both as a Quaker institution and as a liberal arts college, in
which teaching and learning are primary. Because it is difficult
to express these traditions in a few words, it may be helpful
for faculty members to refer to three different documents, all
of which have been approved by the faculty meeting: the College
Mission Statement, the Statement on Religious Life at Earlham,
and the Statement of Community Principles and Practices. These
documents are not part of this Handbook and thus they are not
extensions of faculty members’ contracts with the College.
These documents also make clear that being a full and valued
member of the Earlham community does not require adhering to
any particular beliefs, but rather implies a willingness to live
and work constructively within Earlham’s system of shared
governance which is based on a commitment to peaceful resolution
of conflict, respect for all persons, personal integrity, social
justice, and decisions reached by consensus rather than by majority
rule.
3. Criteria for Hiring and Renewing Administrative
Faculty, Including Coaches
Parallel to the four criteria for teaching faculty,
the criteria for hiring and renewing the contracts of administrative
faculty are administrative effectiveness, quality of mind, contributions
to the community, and institutional fit with Earlham.
a. Administrative effectiveness should
be weighed most heavily in the appointment decisions and evaluations.
Skills and attitudes to be considered may include, but are not
limited to:
• Stewardship of time, resources,
and budget
• Setting appropriate goals and developing meaningful projects
• Follow-through on activities
• Responsiveness to those served
• Flexibility and willingness to change
• Ability to work effectively with colleagues
• Supervisory skills
• Problem-solving, creativity, and trouble-shooting
b.
For administrative faculty, quality of mind also involves
competence in and knowledge of one’s administrative field.
Considerations might include (though not exclusively) the faculty
member’s familiarity with recent developments in her/his
field, involvement in professional organizations, publications,
public presentations, and the ability to incorporate new techniques
or ideas into one’s daily work at the College.
c. Contributions to the community: An administrative
faculty member’s involvement with the college community
extends beyond the limits of the office. Faculty members are
department colleagues, members of committees and of the Faculty
Meeting, participants in the governance of the College, and may
serve as academic advisors. A faculty member’s contributions
to our community take many forms, for example:
• Constructive participation in faculty
meetings, departmental meetings, and college and consortial
committees
• Helpful and supportive relationships with colleagues
• Support and responsible academic advising of students as appropriate
• Participation in or attendance at College functions and events,
such as lectures, convocations, athletic events and theatre productions.
We also value service to larger communities such
as Richmond, Wayne county, and state, national, and international
committees and organizations.
d. Institutional fit addresses an administrative
faculty member’s compatibility with the College’s needs
and with Earlham’s mission as a Quaker liberal arts college.
The fit between a particular faculty member’s interests,
skills and area of expertise and the needs of the College may
change over time. Where the faculty member’s interests and
areas themselves change, we expect the faculty member to be in
dialogue with the appropriate supervisor to come to mutually
acceptable understanding about the faculty member’s role.
As the supervisor becomes aware of changes in department or program
needs that bear on renewal, the supervisor will inform the faculty
member of such potential changes.
Institutional fit implies that faculty share an
understanding of and support for the basic mission of Earlham,
both as a Quaker institution and as a liberal arts college, in
which teaching and learning are primary. Because it is difficult
to express these traditions in a few words, it may be helpful
for faculty members to refer to three different documents, all
of which have been approved by the Faculty Meeting: the College
Mission Statement, the Statement on Religious Life at Earlham,
and the Statement of Community Principles and Practices. These
documents are not part of this Handbook and thus they are not
extensions of faculty members’ contracts with the College.
These documents also make clear that being a full and valued
member of the Earlham community does not require adhering to
any particular beliefs, but rather implies a willingness to live
and work constructively within Earlham’s system of shared
governance which is based on a commitment to peaceful resolution
of conflict, respect for all persons, personal integrity, social
justice, and decisions reached by consensus rather than by majority
rule.
|
|
