Recognizing the seriousness of the Covid-19 epidemic and the many resulting disruptions of student development, professional development, and community development activities, the College recognizes that faculty productivity in all three of these evaluation areas are affected. All regularly scheduled faculty evaluations will occur as planned with the following adjustments:
Student Development
- Student evaluations of courses that met during the spring semester 2019-2020 academic year do not have to be included in the faculty evaluation materials unless the faculty wishes to do so. Student evaluations will be conducted during the continuing Covid-19 disruption and those evaluations will be included in faculty evaluation materials. However, consideration of submitted student evaluations will be done in a supportive, flexible way that honors the difficulties of teaching in new ways.
Professional and Community Development
- Expectations for faculty scholarship and involvement in community projects will be adjusted to honor the difficulties in completing projects when access to data collection, professional travel, and research assistance has been severely curtailed. Expectations for faculty scholarship and involvement in community projects will be adjusted to honor the increased focus on student development activities. The usual and expected focus on formative evaluation will continue as will the faculty member's opportunity to discuss the effect of this pandemic via the self-evaluation letter.
Tenure and Promotion Clocks
- Tenure-track faculty members whose next scheduled evaluation is for tenure may request a one-year postponement of that evaluation. For requests to postpone an evaluation scheduled for the 2020-2021 academic year, the request must be made before September 1, 2020. For request for the subsequent year, the request must be made before August 1, 2021. The request is made to the Provost after consultation with the faculty member's department and area chairs. Requests will be approved, or denied, by the Committee on Faculty and reported to the faculty member by September 4 of the academic year in which the evaluation is scheduled to occur, or within one month of the faculty member's request, whichever comes first. A previous request to delay the tenure clock by one year may be rescinded by the faculty member upon request no later than August 1 of the academic year in which the tenure evaluation was originally scheduled.
- Tenured associate professors whose next scheduled evaluation is for promotion may request a one-year postponement for that evaluation. For requests to postpone an evaluation scheduled for 2020-2021 academic year, the request must be made before September 1, 2020. For requests for the two subsequent years, the request must be received before August 1, 2021, or August 1, 2022, respectively. The request is made to the Provost after consultation with the faculty member's department and area chairs. Request will be approved, or denied, by the Committee on Faculty and reported to the faculty member by September 1 of the academic year in which the evaluation in scheduled or occur, or within one month of the faculty member's request, whichever comes first. A previous request to delay the promotional clock by one year may be rescinded by the faculty member upon request no later than August 1 of the academic year in which the promotional evaluation was originally scheduled. The above stipulations will remain in effect for the 2020-2021 academic year. Requests for postponement made and approved according to this policy's deadlines will be honored as they apply to academic years in the future.