Handbook of Operating Procedures > Series 300 Faculty and Academic Policies > 3.3.2 Annual Faculty Evaluation

3.3.2 Annual Faculty Evaluation

A. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for the annual evaluation of full-time faculty.

B. Persons Affected

Full-time faculty.

C. Definitions

Faculty includes all ranks.

D. Policy 

Written evaluations of faculty shall be conducted annually in adherence to The University of Texas System Regents’ Rules and Regulations Rule 30501. These evaluations should be used for faculty development and improvement, and are integral parts of reappointment, merit salary increase, tenure, and promotion decisions.

E. Responsibilities

The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs is responsible for the administration of this policy. Deans and Chairpersons are responsible for implementing the policy.

F. Procedures

Annual Evaluations will focus “improvement of performance, promotion consideration, and merit salary review” in accordance with Regents’ Rule 30501 Sec. 1. 

Each of the individual units within UT Tyler is required to develop discipline-specific guidelines, rubrics, and schedules for annual evaluations, submit these for approval of the Dean, Provost, and President, and distribute approved documents to the faculty.

Once a year the faculty member shall provide the department chair or supervisor a summary of appropriate annual activities and a professional development plan. The chair or immediate supervisor shall conduct the written evaluation and conference with the faculty member and solicit input from students and colleagues as appropriate. 

The annual evaluation assesses the tenure-track or tenured performance in their discipline-specific professional responsibilities. Because UT Tyler is an academic institution, the professional responsibilities include teaching, research/creative activity, service to UT Tyler, the profession, and society, and professional collegiality. Specifically, faculty should: 

1. Demonstrate a consistent pattern of effectiveness in teaching and a commitment to lifelong improvement of teaching skills. Information concerning teaching effectiveness should be collected using multiple and flexible assessment tools. 
2. Demonstrate a record of sustained and valuable substantive contributions to the body of knowledge and understanding in one's discipline. This includes a consistent and meaningful program of research and or creative activity.
3. Display evidence of commitment to service to UT Tyler, the profession, and society. 
4. Demonstrate an ability and willingness to work cooperatively within the department and college and to engage in shared governance, and demonstrate high standards of professional civility and integrity in dealing with colleagues and students.

For non tenure-track faculty the annual evaluation will focus on items 1 and 4 above unless otherwise stipulated by a college. The evaluation should be used for decisions as to whether an offer of an additional appointment will be made.

Regents’ Rule 31102 Sec. 5.1 defines an Annual Review as one that “should focus on individual merit relative to assigned responsibilities in accordance with Regents’ Rule 30501.” Generally, the UT Tyler Annual Evaluation will address faculty performance over no less than two (2) complete academic terms (Fall and Spring). Individual academic units must establish appropriate Annual Evaluation schedules that provide faculty adequate time to review feedback, undergo any necessary professional development, and plan for improvements in assigned responsibilities prior to the start of the next Annual Evaluation period.

Each full-time faculty member will be evaluated in each of these professional responsibilities using the following performance level categories as defined by Regents’ Rule 31102:

1. “Exceeds Expectations” should reflect a clear and significant level of accomplishment beyond what is normal for the institution, discipline, unit, faculty rank, and type of contractual expectations,
2. “Meets Expectations” should reflect a clear and significant level of accomplishment normal for the institution, discipline, unit, faculty rank, and type of contractual expectations,
3. “Does Not Meet Expectations” should indicate a failure beyond what can be considered the normal range of year-to-year variation in performance, but of a character that appears to be subject to correction,
4. “Unsatisfactory” means failing to meet expectations for the faculty member’s institution, unit, rank, and contractual obligations, or involves professional misconduct, dereliction of duty, or incompetence.

An overall performance measure for their Annual Evaluation will be based on the combination of performance levels earned within each of the evaluated professional responsibilities. The following institutional guide is suggested as a method for each institutional unit to use when determining an overall measure of a tenured faculty member’s performance in teaching, research, and service:

1. Exceeds Expectations if the faculty member receives Exceeds Expectations in three or more responsibilities with no measure below a Meets Expectations,
2. Meets Expectations if the faculty member receives no more than one Does Not Meet Expectations measure and no Unsatisfactory measure in each of the responsibilities,
3. Does Not Meet Expectations if the faculty member receives two or more Does Not Meet Expectations measures, and
4. Unsatisfactory if the faculty member receives two or more Unsatisfactory measures.

If merit increases are to be recommended, the recommendations should be consistent with the annual evaluations.

A faculty member may grieve the Annual Evaluation to the extent authorized in the "Faculty Grievance Procedure" as provided in the Handbook of Operating Procedures to the extent consistent with Regents' Rules and Regulations, Rule 30602.

G. Review

The Divisional Head for this policy is the Provost. This policy shall be reviewed every five years or sooner if necessary by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the Faculty Senate.

H. Resource Documents

University of Texas System Regents’ Rules and Regulations Rule 30501