5/25/2011 RIT Faculty Institute on Teaching and Learning How to Annoy Your Department Chair and Get Poor Ratings for Your Teaching Efforts DP Johnson

“Just because class is allotted 50 minutes does not mean it needs to go to the bell every day”

“Prof spent a lot of time explaining very basic things in ways that make them hard to understand”

Challenge –Administrators use a wide variety of methods to evaluate teaching –Faculty use a wide variety of methods to describe their teaching success in self evaluation documents Objectives –Present some effective (and not so effective) techniques used by faculty to represent their efforts –Increase your ability to think like an administrator as you prepare teaching evaluation documents Outcomes –At the end of the session you should be able to… List six ways you can annoy your department chair Describe challenges faced by administrators as they evaluate teaching Craft more effective teaching self evaluation documents for annual, tenure and promotion reviews This Session

Currently an Administrator All good ideas stolen, all bad ideas from experience CPED Qualifiers

Compulsive Process Engineering Disorder (CPED)

Desired Process The System Your Brilliant Teaching + System Run by Others = Rewards You Want

Grim Reality Official Data and Input Course Evaluations Peer Evaluations Formal Student Complaints Teaching Awards Formal Student Compliments Expectations in Policy Un-Official Items Rumor Conjecture Hallway Rumblings Unfair Assignments Peer Backstabbing Peer Promotion Unwritten Expectations Evaluation Good Bad Ugly Resources? Your Teaching + System + (Rancor x Randomness) – Budget Restrictions = P(Oct Raise)

Grim Reality Official Data and Input Course Evaluations Peer Evaluations Formal Student Complaints Teaching Awards Formal Student Compliments Expectations in Policy Un-Official Items Rumor Conjecture Hallway Rumblings Unfair Assignments Peer Backstabbing Peer Promotion Unwritten Expectations Evaluation Good Bad Ugly Resources?

Critique vs Experiment

6 Ways to Annoy Your Chair

Dismiss “Small Stuff” Feedback Typical “Small Stuff” Complaints –Slow to return graded work –Not sure what is due, when and in what form –Changes to due dates and assignments (verbal) –Bad graphics, old copies, VHS –Perceived disorganized activity –Inconsistent use of mycourses –Too much work / too little work for course outcome –Pet assignments and topics How To Annoy Your Chair

Complain About the System ……AND Be Uninformed re Policy and Procedure –Policy and Procedure Manual E4.4.a –a. Teaching The view that teaching is the foremost activity of the RIT faculty is deeply rooted in the traditions of the institution, and the primacy of teaching continues to be a hallmark of RIT. Consequently, the basic consideration, both in initial appointments and matters pertaining to salary adjustments, promotion and tenure, is the extent to which high standards of teaching can be achieved and maintained. Effective teaching, among other things, consists of clearly and enthusiastically communicating special knowledge and expertise based on an understanding of curricular objectives and the learner’s needs and abilities. Further, it entails advising and mentoring, selecting and using appropriate instructional methods and materials which lead to learning, and providing fair and useful evaluations of the quality of the learner’s work. Effective teaching requires a sensitivity to and rapport with the learner. How To Annoy Your Chair

Policy Number: E7.0 ANNUAL REVIEW OF FACULTY B. Review Process –1. All faculty at Rochester Institute of Technology will participate in an annual performance review. –2. ….. –3. ….. –4…. –5. Each college's or academic unit's review process must include the following elements: a. The faculty member's written self-evaluation and evidence of performance in the criteria specified above (B.2.). b. …. c. Standardized student evaluations as established by college policy. For non-tenured faculty these evaluations shall be conducted in all sections taught during the period of review. For tenured faculty they shall be conducted in at least one section of each course taught during the period of review. How To Annoy Your Chair

College and Department Policy Process Requests Traditions MMET/PS –Self Evaluation –3 Categories Teaching Scholarship/Professional Development Service How To Annoy Your Chair

“I enjoyed this class even though it was at 9AM on Monday”

“Teacher is da bomb”

“He is good at teach”

Ignore Your Audience(s) How To Annoy Your Chair

Ignore Your Audience(s) –Follow the Process –Address all Categories –Don’t Flood with Text –Don’t Expect me to Remember List Classes, Section Sizes, Extra Assignments, Special Projects –Don’t Make me Re-Type Info Look up Dates, Course #’s How To Annoy Your Chair

Hand in the Same Crap as Last Year ….OR Start a Brand New Life in Every Plan of Work … OR Fail to Capitalize on All Your Activity –Teaching Course Development (New or New to You) Classes Taught (Sections, Students, Contact Hrs) –Feedback from This Cycle Course Improvements –Based on Feedback Thesis/Capstone Support Independent Studies Special Projects Guest and Other Instructional Presentations How To Annoy Your Chair

Sample

Sample Item

Sample (entire self assessment of teaching)

How To Annoy Your Chair Forget About Other Readers Who Else… –Dean? –Mid-Tenure Committee –Tenure Committee –Next Department Chair Jargon Venting Personal or Personnel Comments Performance vs Normal Expectations Other Assignments –Program Chair –Grant Release 5

Describe no Plan for Continuous or Incremental Improvement How To Annoy Your Chair

Sample

““Excellent use of constructive tangents”

“It came down to forgetting what I already know”

“Please don’t retire” “ I hope he lives to 150 years old so he can keep teaching here for a long time and I can take more classes with him”