I. Purpose
A. Anne Arundel Community College’s (“College”) primary commitment to quality education requires ongoing planning and evaluation of instructional effectiveness, including but not limited to evaluation of its faculty.
B. This Interim Procedure for Full-Time Faculty Performance Evaluation (“Procedure”) establishes the process for reviewing full-time faculty performance related to teaching effectiveness and equivalent academic support; professional development; departmental service; and College and/or community service through ongoing career conversations and formal evaluations at specified intervals.
C. The elements of full-time faculty performance review include self-evaluation, student evaluations, peer reviews and observations, and an administrative evaluation.
II. Scope and Applicability
A. This Procedure applies to all full-time faculty, including tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty, and term contract faculty.
B. This Procedure does not apply to part-time faculty or special term contract faculty.
C. This Procedure applies to all performance evaluations of full-time faculty on or after August 16, 2022.
III. Definitions
A. All capitalized terms in these Procedures have the following meanings:
1. Academic Support Effectiveness means non-teaching activities and support services, which contribute to the academic success of students, including but not limited to, librarian duties, tutoring and select grant-funded activities.
2. Academic Year means August 16 through June 15 for 10-month faculty and August 16 through August 15 for 12-month faculty.
3. AVP is the Associate Vice President of Learning and Academic Affairs.
4. Business Days is any day which is not a Saturday or Sunday or day that the College is closed, such as holidays, spring break, winter break, or other day that the College announces that it is closed.
5. Career Conversation means a discussion between the Faculty Member and the Supervisor regarding the Faculty Member’s performance in the Evaluation Areas.
6. Career Conversation Worksheet means a summary of the Career Conversation completed by the Supervisor.
7. College and/or Community Service means contributions to College and community at large, with emphasis on the level of participation, in terms of the quality and quantity of active service. Examples of these activities include but, are not limited to, participation in or leadership of College committees; participation in student advising; initiation of, participation in, or leadership of student activities; initiation of, participation in, or leadership of other College sponsored activities; contribution to carrying out administrative responsibilities; initiation of, or participation in, community activities related to the individual’s teaching area; and/or distinctive achievements in community activities.
8. Classroom Visit means a formal classroom observation of a Faculty Member’s class by a Peer Evaluator or Supervisor, including the completion of a Classroom Visit Form for the purpose of evaluating the Teaching Effectiveness of a Faculty Member.
9. Classroom Visit Form is a summary completed by a Supervisor or Peer Evaluator following a formal Classroom Visit for the purpose of evaluating the Teaching Effectiveness of a Faculty Member as approved by the department.
10. Course Materials means a representative set of materials used for teaching and learning in the classroom to represent other courses taught during the period of service being reviewed, including but not limited to, syllabi, examinations, writing assignments, projects, handouts, and so on, prepared or uniquely modified by the Faculty Member.
11. Departmental Service means contributions towards departmental goals. Examples of these activities include but, are not limited to, participation in course and curriculum development; participation in department committees; development of instructional materials or facilities; and/or leadership in departmental activities and/or special projects.
12. Evaluation Areas include Teaching Effectiveness and/or Academic Support Effectiveness; Professional Development; Departmental Service; and College and/or Community Service. The College’s values and institutional priorities, such as antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion, and essential professional attributes, such as collegiality and professionalism are central to quality faculty work and should be taken into consideration in each Evaluation Area.
13. Faculty Member means the full-time faculty member who is subject to evaluation under this Procedure.
14. Faculty Peer Committee means one (1) or more Peer Evaluators, selected in accordance with the Faculty Peer Committee Section below.
15. Formal Evaluation means a comprehensive evaluation of a Faculty Member to include Classroom Visits, a review of Course Materials, and a Peer Review for the purpose of performance evaluation and consideration of promotion, tenure, tenure-track and multi-year contracts.
16. PAT Manual is the Promotion and Tenure Committee Manual.
17. Peer Evaluator means a faculty member who is appointed to conduct a Peer Review of a Faculty Member.
18. Peer Review means a required component of a Formal Evaluation, which includes the following:
a. Classroom Visits for two (2) or more classes;
b. A review of Course Materials, the current Professional Development Plan, and the current Professional Summary Form; and
c. The submission of a Peer Evaluation Report by Faculty Peer Committee.
19. Peer Evaluation Report means a summary of the performance of a Faculty Member as assessed by Faculty Peer Committee as a component of a Formal Evaluation on a form approved by the department.
20. Professional Development means evidence of professional accomplishment since the Faculty Member’s appointment or last promotion, Formal Evaluation or Career Conversation. Professional development activities are those that work to improve and enhance a Faculty Member’s knowledge, skills and abilities to support discipline expertise, pedagogy and student learning, institutional excellence (college values, mission and strategic plan) and leadership or other professional knowledge and skills. Examples of these activities include but, are not limited to, graduate work completed at regionally accredited institutions; research; professional publications, exhibitions, performances, etc.; membership and participation in, or leadership of professional organizations; workshops; and/or activities that qualify as equated credits, as determined in accordance with the Equated Credit Guidelines.
21. Professional Development Plan (“PDP”) means a dynamic goal-setting tool supporting short- and long-term faculty professional development, aligned with the College’s values, mission, and strategic plan, incorporating goals tied to the Faculty Member’s career advancement cycle to include promotion and tenure.
22. Professional Summary Form means a document used to record and continuously update the Faculty Member’s activities, accomplishments, and achievements related to the Evaluation Areas, requirements for promotion and tenure, and efforts made towards continuous improvement.
23. Self-Assessment means the analysis and reflection of a Faculty Member on their career, teaching practices and values to inform Career Conversations and/or the development and revision of a Faculty Member’s PDP.
24. Supervisor means the Assistant Dean or Director, if there is no Assistant Dean in the reporting line, to whom the Faculty Member reports.
25. Teaching Effectiveness means the successful engagement of the College’s students in learning, communicating, and connecting, using evidence-based, inclusive pedagogies that support diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism; fostering knowledge, skills, and a spirit of inquiry; using of accessible Course Materials; and demonstrating excellence in teaching through subject matter expertise and lifelong learning.
26. Written or in writing means in the form of a letter, document, email or electronic communication or transmission.
IV. Career Conversations
A. The purpose of ongoing Career Conversations:
1. To support the Faculty Member’s success and self-improvement through a strength-based conversation;
2. To encourage a growth mindset through reflection, planning, problem solving, and honest and constructive feedback; and
3. To guide and facilitate the Faculty Member’s professional development, aligned with observed strengths, opportunities for growth and continuous improvement, professional advancement at the College and beyond, and the College’s values, mission and strategic objectives.
B. Documents for Review
1. At least five (5) Business Days prior to the Faculty Member’s scheduled Career Conversation, the Faculty Member will complete and submit a Professional Summary Form and the current PDP to the Supervisor except in cases where the Faculty Member is in their first year of employment. PDPs that are more than three (3) years old must be completed on the new PDP Form.
a. The Supervisor will assign a deadline for completion the Professional Summary Form and PDP for a full-time Faculty Member who is in their first year of full-time employment at the College.
b. The Faculty Member’s PDP may be revised at any time by the Faculty Member or upon recommendation by the Supervisor, but at a minimum of every three (3) Academic Years based on the Faculty Member’s evolving needs and goals for Professional Development.
2. The Faculty Member must submit a Self-Assessment to the Supervisor to inform the Spring Career Conversation.
3. The Faculty Member may submit additional data to the Supervisor for any Career Conversation.
4. The Supervisor may access additional data to inform the Career Conversation, including but not limited to, letters concerning the Faculty Member’s service on committees.
5. The information collected from students that is used to inform Career Conversations and Formal Evaluations, including but not limited to student opinion forms, student success rates, and course success data, as well as the Self-Assessment, are to be used solely for the purposes of guiding and providing context and provide feedback for the Career Conversation, identifying strategies to enhance or modify teaching and/or academic support, or engaging in continuous improvement.
C. Schedule
1. Each Supervisor will review the performance of each Faculty Member that the Supervisor supervises through Career Conversations two (2) times per Academic Year.
a. Between August 16 and October 15 of each Academic Year, the Supervisor will engage in a Fall Career Conversation with the Faculty Member.
b. Between April 1 and June 15 of each Academic Year, the Supervisor will engage in Spring Career Conversation with the Faculty Member.
c. The Supervisor will indicate on the Spring Career Conversation Worksheet whether the Faculty Member is meeting expectations or not meeting expectations.
2. Prior to the Spring Career Conversation, a Supervisor Classroom Visit and/or Peer Classroom Visit is required for all Faculty Members within their first year of employment at the College and the Supervisor will provide feedback on the Classroom Visit during the Spring Career Conversation.
D. Attendance
1. The Faculty Member and Supervisor may agree to invite a faculty member(s), an academic chair(s), a coordinator(s), a subject matter expert(s), a Dean, or any other College employee(s) to attend a Career Conversation, if mutually agreed upon by the Faculty Member and Supervisor in advance of the scheduled Career Conversation.
2. If the Faculty Member and Supervisor do not agree, then the other employee may not attend.
3. The Supervisor may consult with the academic chair, tenured faculty of the department, the Dean, and/or any other employee the Supervisor deems appropriate prior to conducting the Career Conversations.
4. If the Faculty Member is jointly-appointed to more than one department or has been given release time to perform Academic Support duties in another department, the Supervisor of the primary appointment will consult with the Supervisor and/or academic chair(s) for the other department(s) in which the Faculty Member is jointly appointed or performing Academic Support duties so that the Supervisor may provide feedback regarding the other appointment(s) or duties.
E. Career Conversation Worksheet
1. Within ten (10) Business Days of the date of the Career Conversation, the Supervisor will complete the Career Conversation Worksheet and send it to the Faculty Member.
2. Within ten (10) Business Days of the date the Career Conversation Worksheet was sent to the Faculty Member, the Faculty Member must sign the Career Conversation Worksheet to acknowledge that the Faculty Member has received and read the Career Conversation Worksheet.
a. Signing the Career Conversation Worksheet does not indicate that the Faculty Member agrees with the feedback received.
b. Failure to sign the Career Conversation Worksheet will not affect the validity of the Career Conversation.
c. Before signing, the Faculty Member may provide a written response to the Career Conversation Worksheet in the field identified for comments by the Faculty Member.
3. Within ten (10) Business Days of receipt of a written response from the Faculty Member, the Supervisor may, in the Supervisor’s sole discretion, make changes to the Career Conversation Worksheet in response to the Faculty Member’s comments and provide a copy of the revised Career Conversation Worksheet to the Faculty Member.
a. After this ten-day period has passed, the Career Conversation Worksheet with revisions, if any, will be final.
b. Because Career Conversations are meant to be constructive and growth oriented, there is no right to appeal or grieve the content of the Career Conversation Worksheet.
F. Each Supervisor will keep the appropriate Dean apprised of the status of the Career Conversations for the Faculty Members they supervise.
G. Within five (5) business days of the Faculty Member signing the Career Conversation Worksheet or the time for the Supervisor to respond to the Faculty Member’s comments, whichever is later, the Supervisor will provide a copy of the Career Conversation Worksheet to the Faculty Member and will complete and submit the Confirmation Form, including a copy of the Career Conversation Worksheet, to the Provost/Vice President of Learning, who will store the records in the evaluation materials file in accordance with the College Manual.
H. The AVP will track and monitor that each Supervisor completes the Career Conversation and submits the Confirmation Form.
V. Informal Teaching Observations or Activities
A. In any year in which the Faculty Member is not scheduled for a Formal Evaluation, the Faculty Member is encouraged to invite other faculty members, their academic chair(s) or Supervisor to conduct informal teaching observations or activities to obtain feedback on the Faculty Member’s teaching or academic support effectiveness.
B. Informal teaching observations or activities may include, but are not limited to, teaching squares, flipped observations, informal observations by an expert teacher, or informal mentoring.
C. The Supervisor will discuss opportunities for informal teaching observations or activities during the Career Conversations.
D. Individuals who conduct informal teaching observations or activities with the Faculty Member may provide a written summary of the feedback for the Faculty Member or the Faculty Member may provide a written summary, reflecting on their observations or the feedback received.
VI. Formal Evaluation
A. The purpose of a Formal Evaluation is:
1. To provide a Faculty Member with formalized and documented feedback in support of continuous improvement;
2. To provide a formal record of a Faculty Member’s performance in the Evaluation Areas for the purpose of professional advancement and consideration for promotion, tenure, tenure-track, multi-year contracts, and teaching awards; and
3. To make informed personnel decisions including reappointment, promotion, tenure, and continued employment.
B. Formal Evaluation Schedule
1. Prior to August 16, 2022, the Supervisor will assign an initial Formal Evaluation year to all Faculty Members who report to the Supervisor.
a. The Supervisor will aim to review approximately one-third (1/3) of the Faculty Members that report to the Supervisor during Academic Year 2022-23, approximately one-third (1/3) of the Faculty Members that report to the Supervisor during Academic Year 2023-24, and the remaining approximately one-third (1/3) Faculty Members that report to the Supervisor during Academic Year 2024-25.
b. After the initial review schedule is established, each Faculty Member will receive a Formal Evaluation every three (3) years.
2. Each Faculty Member who is applying for tenure-track must receive a Formal Evaluation with the addition of a tenure-track committee interview.
3. Newly-hired faculty will receive their first Formal Evaluation in their third year of employment.
4. The AVP will track and monitor that each Faculty Member receives a Formal Evaluation in accordance with the schedule established under this Section.
C. Faculty Peer Committee
1. Peer evaluation of teaching is an essential component of faculty evaluation and requires observation of instruction methodologies through Classroom Visits, review of Course Materials, and a written assessment of these observations.
2. In an Academic Year in which the Faculty Member is required to have a Formal Evaluation, the Peer Evaluator(s) will be selected to serve on the Faculty Peer Committee, in accordance with departmental protocols unless the Faculty Member is being considered for promotion or tenure, in which case the Faculty Peer Committee will be selected in accordance with the PAT Manual.
3. In selecting the Peer Evaluators, diversity, equity, and inclusion will be considered to ensure that faculty of diverse backgrounds will serve as Peer Evaluators, including the possible selection of Peer Evaluators outside of the Faculty Member’s discipline.
4. Once the Faculty Peer Committee is constituted, the Faculty Member will provide the Faculty Member’s most recent Professional Summary, PDP, and Course Materials to the Faculty Peer Committee and the Supervisor.
D. Peer Review
1. Peer Classroom Visit and Review of Course Materials
a. The Peer Evaluator(s) will observe classes taught by the Faculty Member in accordance with departmental protocols unless the Faculty Member is being considered for promotion or tenure, in which case the Peer Evaluators will follow the PAT Manual.
b. The Peer Evaluators(s) will provide no less than five (5) Business Days’ notice prior to conducting a Classroom Visit, unless the Faculty Member agrees to an earlier date.
c. The Peer Evaluators will complete and submit the Classroom Visit Form to the Faculty Peer Committee in accordance with departmental protocols unless the Faculty Member is being considered for promotion or tenure, in which case the Peer Evaluators will follow the PAT Manual.
d. The Peer Evaluators will review and evaluate the Course Materials for Teaching Effectiveness.
2. Peer Evaluation Report
a. The Faculty Peer Committee will review the Classroom Visit Forms, the evaluation of the Course Materials, the Professional Summary, and the PDP and the Faculty Peer Committee is strongly encouraged to provide feedback on all Evaluation Areas.
b. The Faculty Peer Committee may review the most recent letters concerning the Faculty Member’s service on committees.
c. The Peer Evaluation Report must be approved for use in a Peer Review at the departmental level.
d. The Faculty Peer Committee will complete and submit the Peer Evaluation Report to the Faculty Member.
3. Peer Review Meeting
a. The Faculty Peer Committee will meet with the Faculty Member to discuss the information in the Peer Evaluation Report and their findings in support of the continuous improvement of the Faculty Member.
b. At the end of the meeting, the Peer Evaluators and the Faculty Member will sign the Peer Evaluation Report to acknowledge that the Faculty Member received, read, and discussed the Peer Evaluation Report with the Faculty Peer Committee.
c. The Faculty Member will submit a copy of the signed Peer Evaluation Report to the Supervisor within ten (10) Business Days of the meeting.
d. Peer Reviews are valid for two (2) Academic Years from the date of submission of the Peer Evaluation Report, unless otherwise stated in the PAT Manual for a Faculty Member who is being reviewed for promotion or tenure.
E. Supervisor Review
1. Supervisor Classroom Visit
a. The Supervisor or designee will conduct a Classroom Visit and observe at least one (1) class taught by the Faculty Member.
b. The Supervisor or designee will provide no less than five (5) Business Days’ notice prior to conducting a Classroom Visit, unless the Faculty Member agrees to an earlier date.
c. The Supervisor or designee will complete the departmental Classroom Visit Form.
2. Supervisor Review
a. The Supervisor will review the Peer Evaluation Report, the Classroom Visit Forms, the Course Materials, the Professional Summary Form, the PDP Form, and the most recent letters concerning the Faculty Member’s service on committees.
b. The Supervisor will complete and submit the Formal Evaluation Form to the Faculty Member.
c. The Supervisor will indicate on the Formal Evaluation Form whether the Faculty Member is exceeding expectations, meeting expectations, working towards expectations, or not meeting expectations in each Evaluation Area and overall. If the Faculty Member is not meeting expectations in Teaching Effectiveness or Academic Support Effectiveness, the Supervisor may select not meeting expectations overall, even if the Faculty Member is meeting expectation in all other Evaluation Areas.
3. Formal Evaluation Meeting
a. After the Faculty Member receives the Formal Evaluation Form, the Supervisor will meet with the Faculty Member to discuss the information in the Formal Evaluation Form and engage in the Spring Career Conversation.
b. The Supervisor and Faculty Member will discuss and memorialize any revisions to the PDP.
c. The Formal Evaluation Form and meeting shall take place prior to June 15 of each Academic Year.
d. This deadline may be extended by the Dean for good cause.
F. Formal Evaluation Form
1.Within ten (10) Business Days of the date of the Formal Evaluation meeting, the Supervisor may revise the Formal Evaluation Form, in the sole discretion of the Supervisor, and provide the final Formal Evaluation Form to the Faculty Member.
2. Within ten (10) Business Days, the Faculty Member is required to sign the Formal Evaluation Form to acknowledge that the Faculty Member has received and read the Formal Evaluation Form.
a. Signing the Formal Evaluation Form does not indicate that the Faculty Member agrees with the feedback received.
b. Failure to sign the Formal Evaluation Form will not affect the validity of the Formal Evaluation.
c. The Faculty Member may provide a written response to the Formal Evaluation Form in the field identified for comments by the Faculty Member.
3. Within ten (10) Business Days of receipt of a written response from the Faculty Member, the Supervisor may, in the Supervisor’s sole discretion, make changes to the Formal Evaluation Form in response to the Faculty Member’s comments and provide a revised copy to the Faculty Member.
a. After this ten-day period has passed, the Formal Evaluation Form with revisions, if any, will be final.
b. Once the Formal Evaluation is final, the Faculty Member may appeal the Formal Evaluation by submitting a written statement to the appropriate Dean via email, including the reason(s) for objecting to the Formal Evaluation, attaching any documents or other evidence in support of the objection, and the specific revisions the Faculty Member is seeking.
c. No later than ten (10) Business Days after receipt, the Dean will schedule a conference together with the Faculty Member and the Supervisor to discuss the issues raised by the Faculty Member.
d. The time for holding a conference may be extended by the Dean for good cause.
e. After the conference, the Dean will submit a written decision to the Faculty Member and the Supervisor, stating the revisions, if any, to be made to the Formal Evaluation.
f. The Dean’s decision is final and cannot be appealed or grieved.
G. Request for Formal Evaluation
1. If a Supervisor determines that a Faculty Member is not meeting expectations in the Spring Career Conversation or a Formal Evaluation, the Supervisor may submit a Request Form to the appropriate Dean to conduct an off-cycle Formal Evaluation.
2. The Supervisor will provide the basis in writing on the Request Form and submit it with the Career Conversation Worksheets that show the lack of improvement by the Faculty Member to the Dean.
3. The Dean will determine whether to grant the Request Form in writing.
4. If granted, the Supervisor will notify the Faculty Member in writing within five (5) Business Days of the Dean’s determination that the Supervisor will schedule an off-cycle Formal Evaluation.
5. If the Faculty Member is exceeding expectations, meeting expectations, or working towards expectations in the off-cycle Formal Evaluation, the next Formal Evaluation will take place based on the Formal Evaluation Schedule set forth above.
6. If the Faculty Member is not meeting expectations in the off-cycle Formal Evaluation and is tenured or tenure-track, the Supervisor may recommend a major sanction in accordance with the College Manual.
7. If the Faculty Member is not meeting expectations in the off-cycle Formal Evaluation and is not tenured or tenure-track, the Supervisor may recommend termination of the Faculty Member’s contract.
VII. Records
A. All documents created or used in this Procedure will become part of the Faculty Member’s personnel file and will be stored in the evaluation materials file as set forth in the College Manual and are confidential.
B. All Forms described in this Procedure must be approved by the Provost/Vice President for Learning for use in faculty performance evaluations.
Procedure Title: Procedure for Full-Time Faculty Performance Evaluations
Policy Category: Faculty Affairs
Policy Owner: Provost/Vice President for Learning
Policy Administrator: Associate Vice President for Learning and Academic Affairs
Contact Information: Dr. Tina Smith; 410-777-2776; ksmith56@aacc.edu
Approval Date: August 1, 2022
Effective Date: August 16, 2022
History: N/A (previously the procedures for full-time faculty evaluations were contained in the College Manual)
Applies to: All full-time faculty
Related Policies: N/A
Related Procedures: N/A
Forms/Guidelines:
Relevant Laws: N/A