Academic Affairs FAQs and Resources

Student evaluations of teaching are required as one of two required pieces of Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness in the academic appointment file.  For new faculty appointment files, the Academic Affairs office will accept evaluations of teaching when the proposed faculty member has evaluations related to teaching that is done outside of a training program, like a Residency or Fellowship.  It is not appropriate to include evaluations of teaching from a time when the candidate was a trainee.

For junior faculty (Assistant rank) appointments, if there are no student teaching evaluations available, or if the evaluations provided by the candidate evaluate their teaching as a trainee (Resident or Fellow), then the file may come forward without teaching evaluations.  In this case, other requirements must be met: (1) the department letter must address the lack of teaching evaluations in the file, and include a substantive discussion of the candidate’s potential as a teacher and  (2) the candidate’s Reflective Teaching Statement must also address/explain the lack of teaching evaluations

Other evidence may be added to the file to demonstrate Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness: these can include contemporaneous peer evaluations of the candidate’s teaching, teaching awards (must be addressed in reflective teaching statement and provide context), and/or course syllabi. See Guidance for Faculty on Preparing Files for a list of suggested ‘additional evidence’. 

Teaching Evaluations are required as part of AP’s Appointment checklist. In some cases, there may not be sufficient teaching evaluations available to add to the file. In these cases, the department letter must address the lack of teaching evaluations in the file, and include a substantive discussion of the candidate’s potential as a teacher. The candidate’s Reflective Teaching Statement must also address/explain any lack of teaching evaluations. Other evidence may be added to the file to demonstrate Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness: these can include contemporaneous peer evaluations of the candidate’s teaching, teaching awards (address in teaching statement, provide context), and/or course syllabi. See AP’s Guidance for Faculty on Preparing Files for a list of suggested ‘additional evidence’. 

Negative teaching evaluations must be addressed in both the Department Letter and the faculty member’s Reflective Teaching Statement. Both the department letter and the faculty’s statement must address and contextualize any negative evaluations, and explain ways in which the faculty has worked to address/correct any issues that may be raised in the evaluations.

If a letter-writer has submitted their LOR via the AP Recruit system, these may be included in the Appointment file. Please make sure that the LOR is downloaded from the system, and that the AP Recruit ‘watermark’ is included with the letter. In the file, please include a sample of any and all solicitation letters that were sent out: either through the Recruit system, or outside of it. 

Teaching evaluations are a required part of a review file. The file must come forward with teaching evaluations for the period under review. The department analyst must consult with the department Program Director, Educational Coordinator, and/or department Chair to gather the required evaluations. If there are no teaching evaluations to add to the file, there must be substantive discussion regarding the 9/2020 2 lack of evaluations in the department letter and the faculty must submit a Reflective Teaching Statement. The file must also include other Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness, and the department letter and faculty statement must address/contextualize these other pieces of evidence. Other evidence may include contemporaneous peer evaluations of his/her teaching, teaching awards, and/or course syllabi. See AP’s Guidance for Faculty on Preparing Files for a list of suggested ‘additional evidence’. 

Negative teaching evaluations must be addressed in both the Department Letter and the faculty member’s Reflective Teaching Statement. Both the department letter and the faculty’s statement must address and contextualize any negative evaluations, and explain ways in which the faculty has worked to address/correct any issues that may be raised in the evaluations.

If a letter-writer has submitted their LOR via the AP Recruit system, these may be included in the review file. Please make sure that the LOR is downloaded from the system, and that the AP Recruit ‘watermark’ is included with the letter. In the file, please include a sample of any and all solicitation letters that were sent out: either through the Recruit system, or outside of it.

If there is a department faculty member at the Affiliate site, and they are in a position to evaluate the candidate or faculty member, then YES, that faculty member could complete and sign the Department Evaluation form on behalf of the faculty in the department. The Chair could then add their signature to the form if they concur with the evaluation.

YES, the analyst will need to upload redacted Referee Feedback forms into AP Review. Areas to redact include the Evaluator’s name, title, expertise, and relationship to the faculty being evaluated (at the top of the form), as well as the Evaluator’s signature and confidential comments (at the end of the form). 9/2020 

Please contact your SOM Dean’s Analyst for assistance.