Instructor evaluation form: how does it rate?
B Neil M ers
Those instructor evaluation
forms--as much as you might hate
them, they play a major role in
granting or denying tenure and
promotions. Here at Capitol
Campus, the form is something
that nobody loves and many peo
ple misunderstand.
According to Dr. John Joseph,
assistant provost, promotions and
tenure are granted on the basis of
teaching ability, research, scholar
ship and community service, but,
"By far the single most used
method of evaluation is the stu
dent evaluation." Even so,that -
doesn't mean the evaluations are
popular.
"They're often very inac
curate,"says Dr. Irwin Richman,
professor of American Studies
and History.
One of the questions on the
form asks if the instructor en
couraged discusssion.
"I don't necessarily want to
stimulate discussion," Richman
says, adding some courses should
be taught by lecture and others by
participation.
Capitol
imes
Published by students of Penn State University, Capitol Campus
Provost/dean search narrows to five
By Tony Perry
The Provost/Dean Search Com
mittee recently chose five finalists
to be considered for the pro
vost/dean position at Capitol
Campus and began on-campus
meetings to introduce the
candidates to various campus con
stituencies, according to the com
mittee's chairperson Dr. Robert
Graham.
Dr. Stanley Miller was named
acting provost/dean, effective last
July, and will serve in that
capacity until a new provost/dean
is chosen.
The finalists are: Dr. Frank
Butler, Dean of Academic Affairs
and Professor of Physics at In
diana University East in Rich
mond, Indiana; Dr. Norman Can
tor, Director of the Institute for
Cultural Analysis at New York
University; Dr. Samuel Goldman,
Dean of the College of Human
Resources at Southern Illinois
Richman thinks some students
answer negatively based on sub
jective attitudes toward the in
structor and not the instructor's
ability.
Richman does not use the
forms in his classes.
S.H. Dahir, professor of
Engineering, agrees.
"I think the students need to
University; Dr. Ruth Leventhal,
Dean of the School of Health
Sciences at Hunter College in
New York; and Dr. Robert
Smith, Dean of the College of
Education at Virginia Polytechnic
Institute.
Each of the finalists will be in
terviewed on campus by Student
Government Association represen
tatives and members of the staff,
faculty, administration, and
Board of Advisors. Candidates
will move on to University Park
the following day.
Finalists were chosen from an
"excellent and varied" pool of
150 applicants that were "ex
tremely experienced at the dean
level and above," Graham said.
"Over 50 percent (of the ap
plicants) were experienced deans,
provosts, vice presidents,
chancellors or small college
Please see "PROVOST," pg. 3
Photo by Jeffrey G. Shatzer
evaluate more objectively," he
says. He suggests a campaign
every semester to encourage
students to answer fairly.
Other faculty members we ask
ed were ambivalent.
Dr. Carol Nechemias, assistant
professor of Public Policy, feels
the forms are useful but not
enough students fill out the com-
Friday,
December 16,
Vol. 18, No. 4
Dr. Edward Beck (left) greets the first Provost/Dean candidate to visit Capitol Campus, Dr.
Frank A. Butler (right), Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Physics at Indiana University
East, Richmond, Indiana. Butler is one of the five finalists that were chosen from over 150
applicants who applied for the position of Provost/Dean here at Penn State/Capitol Campus.
ment section
But Clem Gilpin, instructor of
Afro-American Studies, says just
the opposite, citing "inconsisten
cies" in the comments that make
them difficult to interpret.
Dr. Amir Jassim, assistant pro
fessor of Risk Management and
Finance, says the forms are "not
the best, but at least they give
you an idea (of teaching
effectiveness)."
Assistant Provost Joseph says
that efforts have been made to
improve the form. Faculty at
Capitol may now omit certain
questions reagarding textbooks,
class pace, examinations,
assignments and grading, accor
ding to a memo issued this
November by Acting Pro
vost/Dean Stanley N. Miller.
In addition, instructors may as
supplemental questions. Either of
these moves, however, bars that
class' data from inclusion in
norms for each division, campus
and the entire university, Joseph
reports. None of the instructors
we talked with, either here or at
another campus, feel either alter
native is entirely successful.
"The form is a compromise,"
says Johnson. It represents an at
tempt to measure achievement of
individual goals while comparing
the individual to other instructors
for promotion and tenure.
"It's questionable whether you
can combine the two purposes,"
he added.
How the forms are ad
ministered is also not so clear.
Please see "EVALUATION,"
pg. 4
Photo by Jeffrey G. Shatzer