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Faculty evaluation is designed to ensure high quality performance and aid faculty in their professional growth and development. As stated in the university’s Faculty Handbook, “The University of Kansas is committed to recruiting only those faculty who show clear promise of success in the academic setting. The University is committed to the principles of academic freedom and, within those principles, to the system of tenure. Tenure is an important part of academic freedom, but does not accord freedom from accountability. Just as the University is committed to recruit excellent faculty and to insure the excellence of their performance, so, too, is the University dedicated to faculty renewal and development. Thus the concept of regular, rigorous faculty review is a part of the University's commitment to providing support to all its faculty.” (p. 35) Tenure policy and procedures are well defined, well documented in university code, and open for inspection. The team is welcome to explore this process in detail when on campus.
The university further requires, “Each faculty member shall be evaluated annually by the unit administrator (department chair or school dean if a school has no departments) using criteria and methods appropriate to that unit for teaching, scholarship, and service. The administrator may utilize the advice, services, and counsel of a faculty committee for this purpose. The evaluation shall be provided to the faculty member in writing prior to its final adoption. The administrator shall invite faculty to submit a portfolio of relevant information for the purposes of evaluation. Multiple sources of information must be used to evaluate teaching. The portfolio shall include students' ratings of instruction and such additional sources of information as may be appropriate. If the evaluation reveals that a faculty member's performance requires improvement in some areas, the written evaluation shall be specific in describing those areas and ways for improving performance in each such area. During the annual evaluation, the unit administrator will also review the assignment of differential effort with the faculty member and they will decide what changes are appropriate and practical. If a faculty member's performance requires improvement in any area, the unit administrator will explore, with the faculty member, reallocation of effort from problem areas to areas where performance is more satisfactory, subject to the necessity for the unit to meet its teaching, research, and service obligations and the need for all faculty members to contribute appropriately. Changes in the distribution of effort will be documented in the faculty member's personnel file.” (p. 36) Each academic department develops its own procedures, consistent with the policy just described. Departmental policies will be available for review when the team is on campus. It is important to realize that all “raises” at the university are based solely on merit. If there is money available, and if the faculty member is meritorious, s/he is rewarded. If there is no documented meritorious performance, s/he receives no raise.
At the unit level, all administrators are evaluated annually as well. Faculty evaluate their department chairs and the deans. These evaluations become a part of the merit raise discussions, create the opportunity for formulating job targets, and occasionally inform the retention process.
