Minutes: FACAS Meeting, 4/17/08

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

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

Absent: T. Lasley, C. Letavec, L. Snyder

1. Minutes of 4/10/08 were approved as written.

2. The question of when do we start on the teaching evaluation for tenured faculty was raised. The answer is that we have to wait for the results of the audit that will be done on sabbatical, promotion, and yearly reviews. Then a post-tenure review policy will have to be formulated. Finally, a teaching evaluation policy for tenured faculty will be developed.

3. Student Evaluation of Instructions

a. This topic was originally assigned to SAPC. But they have been so busy with the honor code, little has been done.

b. The FAC is asking the ECAS if the topic might be reassigned to the FAC.

c. When the topic was originally assigned, the Provost suggested that an outside consultant be hired to provide us with “best practices.”

d. The FAC suggests that the ECAS ask the Provost to hire this consultant so that things start moving on the topic.

e. The question was raised as to what exactly we want from the outside consultant. Do we need to formulate specific questions, before we ask for answers?

f. It was mentioned that Steve Wilhoit might have a report that addresses student evaluation. George Doyle will ask Steve.

g. It was mentioned that one department was doing the evaluation on-line, and getting very good results. A large number of students participated in the evaluation and seemed to provide more useful information.

h. It was suggested that periodically there could be a facilitator in the class when the assessment form is administrated, a blend of the numerical forms with the MID procedure.

4. The next meeting will be after the new FAC is formed.

5. The minutes of 4/17/08 were approved by email on 4/24/08.