Approved by APCC 2/23/24; Approved by Faculty Senate 3/8/24; Approved by President 5/22/23
The mission of EGSC is focused on excellence in teaching. EGSC encourages the formative use of peer observations to improve one’s teaching.
Summative observations may contribute to the annual evaluation of faculty and/or to the tenure and promotion process. Processes related to reappointment of untenured faculty and/or the promotion and tenure process may include summative teaching observations as per the EGSC promotion and tenure policy).
The Observer
Classroom observations should be conducted by tenured faculty of the same or higher rank than the faculty member being evaluated and, ideally, faculty in a related discipline or disciplinary cluster who are qualified to evaluate disciplinary assumptions about teaching and assessment, approaches to content, and similar items.
Where a supervisor may not be so qualified, a faculty member may request that a group of peers conduct a summative evaluation. Peers must be tenured and of higher rank than the faculty member. A faculty member may also request to have a tenured peer of the same or higher rank with expertise in higher education pedagogy to conduct an evaluation.
An observer should consult with the faculty member prior to the observation to determine which class will be observed and agree on a date and time. The faculty member should have at least one week’s notice of the scheduled observation. Prior to the observation, the observer should obtain from the faculty member information about the course and the lesson content for the day, along with any appropriate information about disciplinary assumptions related to pedagogy and assessment.
Observers may observe online courses in the course of conducting evaluations, but should consult with faculty first. The observer should not enter a faculty member’s online courses without prior consultation and notice. The observation should be conducted in a similar manner to the one conducted in class. Therefore, the observer and faculty member should agree on the course to be observed and the module(s) that will be evaluated and at least one week’s notice should be provided. An observer should not randomly select courses and/or modules without consultation with the faculty member.
Observers should make an effort not to intervene in or disrupt a class and should stay for the agreed upon period.
The observer should provide feedback to the faculty within ten working days after the observation. The faculty member may respond in writing to the observation within ten working days after receiving the report and rebut any areas of disagreement.
In cases of serious disagreements, a faculty member may request to have a second observation conducted by a peer or a group of peers and their written report added to the record.
Frequency of Observation by Peers
Observation of untenured faculty should occur at least once a year throughout their probationary period.
Tenured faculty applying for promotion should be observed at least once in the years between the award of tenure and the application for promotion and/or eligibility to apply for promotion.
Tenured faculty who have been fully promoted are not subject to classroom observations except in the context of serious concerns about performance that may relate to grounds for termination as stated in the BOR Policy Manual 8.3.9. Tenured full professors are strongly encouraged to request an observation in the year prior to their post tenure review.
A tenured faculty member may request an observation from a supervisor, group of peers, or colleagues at any time if so desired. Observation of teaching, when used for formative purposes, may serve to improve performance. Faculty are encouraged to engage in this process to inform their teaching.
