Faculty Evaluations

One of the biggest problems facing business school administrators is how to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of their professors. The problem is compounded because it can be difficult to know how to weigh various sources of data—including student evaluations, peer evaluations, and teaching portfolios. Since teaching evaluations often are used to determine whether a professor deserves promotion or tenure, it is critical that administrators carefully and fairly interpret all the data available to them.

A recent survey of AACBE members was designed to determine what components most deans and department heads believe should be considered in faculty evaluations. A rapid response from many members indicated that the survey indeed hit a nerve with deans and administrators. Findings here are based on 501 completed surveys.

In general, deans and administrators tend to look most closely at a professor’s depth of knowledge, student evaluations, technical ability, and teaching skill when evaluating teaching effectiveness. The survey suggests that:

·         The single most important element in faculty effectiveness is the professor’s current knowledge of the field. Of all respondents, 61 percent found this to be extremely important; 33.8 found it somewhat important.

·         Stakeholder feedback is also crucial—when it comes from students. Of the 20 items listed in this category, student evaluation scores and student written comments ranked as the most important elements.

·         Peer evaluations are more important than a dean’s evaluation, but less important than the chair’s evaluation.

·         According to the majority of respondents, evaluative classroom visits by administrators or faculty are only some-what important or not important at all

·         Intellectual contributions are not valued as highly as many people think. In fact, survey respondents ranked them seventh in importance, behind being current in the field, student evaluation scores, student written comments, chair’s evaluation, teaching awards, and peer evaluations.

·         The teaching portfolio—though gaining popularity in recent years—is not the best measure of teaching effectiveness. Just over a quarter of respondents called it extremely important; half said it is somewhat important.

·         Administrators do not appear to be especially concerned about class enrolments, grade distribution, or drop rates. Only 5.2 percent of those who responded think the drop rate of a class is an extremely important factor in determining teaching effectiveness.

·         It pays to be tech-savvy. Respondents rated a professor’s use of technology as a more important factor than colleagues’ opinions, grade distribution, course notebooks, course level, course type, class enrolment, and drop rate. About 56 percent believe that the use of technology is somewhat important; 9.5 percent believe that it is extremely important.

·         Classroom teaching is the most important element of overall annual faculty performance, rated as extremely important by 94.6 percent of the respondents. It outranks intellectual contributions, which is considered extremely important by just 73 percent of respondents.

·         Within student evaluations, professors’ preparation and communication skills are the most important aspects of their teaching.

·         Respondents believe that, in comparing the mean scores from student evaluations, the department mean should carry the most weight, followed by the discipline mean. They consider the college mean and university mean far less important.