Student Evaluation Process

The Student Evaluation Process is conducted per semester in accordance with the directive as stated in The University of North Carolina Administrative Memorandum Number 338, titled "Tenure and Teaching in the University of North Carolina". The Process is the result of recommendations adopted by the Board of Governors in their November 1992 meeting. The adopted recommendations regarding tenure and teaching within the UNC system are as follows:

1. That the Board of Governors, through the President of the University, instruct the Chancellors of each constituent institution to do the following:

1. Review institutional mission statements, tenure policies, and the criteria for making faculty personnel decisions and, where necessary, to revise them so as to give explicit recognition to the primary importance of teaching in the University;
2. Revise institutional policies and procedures, as necessary, to require (1) that clear and specific statements of criteria for evaluation of faculty performance at every level (institution, college/school, department) are provided in writing and discussed with each probationary faculty member before initial employment and at the beginning of the first term of employment and with each candidate being reviewed for reappointment or tenure at the beginning of the year in which the review is scheduled to be made, and (2) that a record of these discussions be kept in the individual's personnel file;
3. Review procedure for the evaluation of faculty performance to ensure (1) that student evaluations and formal methods of peer review are included in teaching evaluation procedures, (2) that student evaluations are conducted at regular intervals (at least one semester each year) and on an ongoing basis, (3) that peer review of faculty includes direct observation of the classroom teaching of new and non-tenured faculty and of graduate teaching assistants, and (4) that appropriate and timely feedback from evaluations of performance is provided to those persons being reviewed.

North Carolina A&T State University first implemented its student evaluation process during the 1993-94 academic year. The Student Opinion Form (SOF) currently used is composed of 27 items designed to provide information relative to course organization, preparation and mastery of course content, communication and rapport and assessment and evaluation. The instrument's rating scale includes ranks of exceptional, superior, satisfactory, needs improvement, and unsatisfactory. The instrument is administered each semester and results are returned to each academic dean by the second week of the next semester. Each dean, in turn, provides the results to his/her academic chairpersons who share the results with their faculty. Each faculty member is entitled to a copy of his/her evaluation results. Each chairperson is also responsible for maintaining a copy of the faculty member's evaluation results on file and at any time upon request providing the faculty member with a copy.

The Student Evaluation Process is coordinated through the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for Undergraduate Programs. Maintaining copies of the evaluation results for each faculty member is the sole responsibility of the dean and department chairperson of each school/college. This Office does not maintain copies for distribution to faculty members. Additional information regarding the Student Evaluation Process may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for Undergraduate Programs at 334-7977.

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