Research article publication is often considered a critical indicator of academic institutions' success and productivity. It improves the institution's reputation, attracts talented students and faculty members, and increases the institution's chances of receiving funding opportunities from different funding agencies. This paper provides a…

Recent discussions of practices in higher education have tended toward muck-raking and self-styled exposure of cynical self-indulgence by faculty and administrators at the expense of students and their families, as usually occurs during periods of economic duress, rather than toward analytical studies designed to foster understanding This article…

As publication pressure has increased in the world of higher education, more journals, books, and other publication outlets have emerged. Thus it is critical to develop clear criteria for effectively evaluating the quality of publication outlets. Without such criteria funding agencies and promotion committees are forced to guess at how to evaluate…

Analyzes excellence in teaching, expertise in teaching, and the scholarship of teaching according to the nature and sources of knowledge construction underlying each. Illustrates the differences with practical examples. Asserts that excellence in teaching and the scholarship of teaching are both important but should be recognized and rewarded in…

Describes the well-established pre- and post-tenure evaluation of faculty at the University of California. All faculty are reviewed every two to four years by department colleagues, the dean, and a campus faculty committee. Although the process poses a substantial workload, faculty and administrators regard it as crucial to maintaining a…

Considers four themes related to peer and post-tenure review of college faculty: (1) post-tenure review as a summative moment in a cycle of formative occasions; (2) the post-tenure period as characterized by flux and change; (3) the post-tenure period as one of crisis in intellectual growth; (4) peer collaboration and review of teaching as…

Provides an overview of state-level college faculty post-tenure review policies, describes their features, and speculates about the future of post-tenure review. Notes statements of Virginia's 1994 Commission on the Future of Higher Education that criticize the tenure tradition and Virginia state legislation requiring greater accountability by…

Describes the development and implementation of the Arizona post-tenure review policy, with particular emphasis on the Arizona State University experience. This policy had to balance the different expectations of the Arizona Board of Regents, the faculty, and university administration. Outlines communication strategies used in negotiations with…

Examines the differences in summative and formative evaluation of college teaching, and suggests a new model for peer review of teaching that uses colleagues from other campuses (external review) for summative evaluation. Argues that traditional student evaluation and on-campus peer evaluation (internal review) discourage innovations in teaching…

Discusses trends in policy concerning the evaluation and development of tenured college faculty, including the evolution of such policies, current policies, common approaches, and unifying principles that lead to successful implementation. Explores questions regarding impact, outcomes, costs, and benefits of post-tenure reviews. (Author/DB)

A survey of 31 instructional leaders in higher education investigated their perceptions of the importance of 26 teaching competencies in effective college instruction. Results confirmed that, for the most part, these competencies were considered essential and were found comparable to competencies identified for teaching assistants in previous…

Describes a faculty development program at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) designed to allow mid-career and senior faculty to effectively apply technology to teaching and learning. Considers implications of such faculty development processes for post-tenure review approaches. (Author/DB)

Teaching portfolios provide college faculty and department chairs with the means to recognize good teaching and promote the values of the discipline. Portfolio content should include information on what is taught and why, documentation of teaching strategies, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and a teaching improvement plan. (MSE)

While frank evaluation of instructional improvement needs is an important element in faculty development, it does not work well in a highly evaluative climate. Developmental and evaluative activities can be integrated effectively with a long-range perspective; when periodic evaluations are required, administration should reward effort without…

An important component that models for peer review of faculty often exclude is course content. An approach incorporating course content evaluation by colleagues outside the institution, used at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, is described, and the structure and materials used are noted. The model, excerpted from the final…