Minutes: FACAS Meeting, 1/31/08

Time and Location: 10:30 – 11:45 am, KL 505

Present: D. Biers, G. Doyle (chair), E. Gustafson, P. Johnson, L. Laubach, D. Sink,

L. Snyder, R. Wells, S. Wilhoit (Faculty Board)

Absent: T. Lasley, C. Letavec, Y. Raffoul

1. Minutes of 1/24/08 were approved as written.

2. It was suggested that the policy for teaching evaluation be divided into three parts: Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Promotion to Professor, and Merit. A couple problems with these divisions are: some faculty are hired at Associate Professor and receive tenure and promotion to Professor, and some receive tenure and are not ever promoted to Professor.

3. It was pointed out that the university teaching evaluation policy should consider P&T documents from each unit. To that end, the FAC will review the unit documents. Hard copies of appropriate material from unit P&T documents will be brought to the next FAC meeting – College: Pat Johnson, Business: Rebecca Wells, Education: Lloyd Laubach, Engineering: George Doyle.

4. The question was raised as to the position of the Law School and Library in the university teaching evaluation policy.

5. Questions were raised about the requirement of evidence for student learning. While some courses are objective and tests scores can be used, other courses are more subjective, making it more difficult to measure learning.

6. The requirement of self-evaluation was also thought to have potential problems. Some faculty will not want to be critical about themselves.

7. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:30 am on Thursday, February 7, 2008 in KL 505.