Probationary Review and Other Evaluation
Faculty members on tenure track normally receive two comprehensive performance reviews. Conducted by the Faculty Status Council, the reviews employ the same standards used in tenure consideration and follow similar procedures. The procedures differ somewhat, however, in that (1) the Board of Trustees does not participate; (2) the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty discusses with the individual and his/her Division Chair the conclusions reached, and (3) the Faculty Status Council concludes the performance reviews by discussing its recommendations with the candidate’s Division Chair. The key points of both reviews are also confirmed by letter to the candidate, with copies to the Division Chair and the President.
Apart from these systematic evaluations, there are other ways for the faculty member to learn how his or her work is regarded. Division Chairs and Program Chairs are encouraged to meet at least once a year with division members to review candidly the individual’s performance. Any faculty person should also feel free to approach the Division Chair or Program Chairs about such matters, and to confer as well with the Dean or Curriculum and Student Learning and/or the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty, whenever appropriate. In addition, student opinions may be learned directly from the Instructor Evaluation Questionnaires. See Appendix C for the policies regarding the collection, processing, and use of the Instructor Evaluation Questionnaire.
Mentoring Team
When a new tenure-track faculty member comes to Berea College, the Division Chair constitutes a mentoring team of at least two faculty members from within the division. Whenever possible, one team member will be in the same discipline as the new faculty appointee. The Division Chair is a member of the mentoring team for the new faculty member and may continue on the appointee’s mentoring team even beyond one’s term as chair. Over the course of a probationary appointment, mentoring team membership may change as a result of consultations among the faculty member, mentoring team, Division Chair, and the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty.
Tenure Team
Following a promising probationary review and no later than two years prior to a tenure review for a faculty member, a tenure team is constituted for the tenure candidate. The tenure candidate, mentoring team, Program Chair (where applicable), Division Chair, and Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty will establish a tenure team of three to five faculty members. The tenure team will be composed of the mentoring team and additional tenured faculty members in the candidate’s discipline or related fields inside or outside the division. The candidate’s tenure team and, where applicable, the Program Chair assist the Division Chair in developing a comprehensive, evaluative letter. This assistance may include, but not be limited to: consultation, review of scholarship and other materials related to the College’s Tenure Review Standards, classroom observations, student interviews, and review of student evaluations (IEQs) and/or alumni surveys. Once the Division Chair has drafted the letter, each member of the tenure team and Program Chair, where applicable, receive an electronic copy. Any member of the tenure team or the Program Chair, where applicable, who feels that her/his contributions are not adequately addressed in the letter is encouraged to write an additional letter and submit it to the candidate’s file.