Twenty-five profiles of college and university programs using teaching portfolios to evaluate faculty are presented to illustrate how portfolio use relates to institutional context and purposes of evaluation. An introductory section makes observations about the profiles in general and highlights some issues emerging during preparation of the…

A discussion of faculty tenure focuses on the system used at Colby College (Maine). Policies and practices are described, with attention given to the four evaluations made before tenure is awarded, efforts to ensure instructional quality and research productivity after the tenure decision, and the balance of teaching and scholarship in the faculty…

New Mexico State University addressed the trend toward employing non-tenure-track faculty (NTTs) by capping the proportion of NTTs; acceptance of a two-tiered faculty with differentiated responsibilities; extension of professional rights to NTTs; full and regular NTT evaluation, participation in merit pay, and promotion opportunities; and…

An alternative method for college faculty to develop teaching portfolios is outlined, with the objective of minimizing professional risk. It is recommended that faculty work on course portfolios privately rather than in an organizational project, and that teaching philosophy be written last, not first. A two-year curriculum for developing a…