NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/misc/legal/23440

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-28 | 2.4 KB

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From: [e-mail] (CURT)
Newsgroups: misc.legal
Subject: tenure
Date: 27 Jan 1993 19:37:36 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
Lines: 34
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
NNTP-Posting-Host: oavax.csuchico.edu

I have a friend at the university who is going up for early tenure and
promotion this year. She has been at CSU, Chico for two and one half years, and
has won the College's Outstanding Faculty Award, the College Outstanding
Teaching Award, is the Project Director of a $200,000 FIPSE grant to
re-engineer a couple of courses. Unfortunately, her teacher ratings have been
average, largely because she has tried several innovative things in the
classroom (e.g., starting a student literary journal, making all exams essay
are problem-solving, emphasizing group learning, and abandoning the textbook).
Students rate her highly in enthusiasm and sensitivity to students, but
downgrade her on organization.

Here's the situation. For her to be considered for early tenure or promotion,
75% of administrative evaluations must be rated as effective or better. At CSU,
Chico, there are four evaluations each year: department committee, chair,
college committee, and dean. Two years ago, after having been in Chico less
than six weeks, she put her dossier together for annual evaluation. She scored
adequate, adequate, adequate, and effective, respectively, in teaching. Last
year she scored effective across the board.

The department committee recommends denial of early promotion or tenure becasue
five of her eight data points were effective, which is short of the 75% rule.

My question is this: Can the committee rely on Year 1 evaluations to come to
such a conclusion, given that only six weeks of information was used to judge
one year's worth of instruction? Or should (must?) it use only Year 2
evaluations? It should be noted that she had taught at a major university for 5
1/2 years before coming to Chico.

Can anyone advise me on this?  Thank you.
**********************************************************
CURT DEBERG, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, CHICO
[e-mail]
PHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone]