NP 3-31 – Evaluation of Faculty Job Performance

Application

This procedure applies to faculty, as defined in Board Policy (BP) 3-10 and within the Colorado Community College System, including its Colleges (CCCS or System).

Basis

The goals of faculty evaluation are to assess faculty performance, as well as reward positive contributions to the success of students, the College, the College community and CCCS as a whole. These goals are defined as meaningful work both inside and outside of the faculty member’s job description, assignments given by a supervisor or through the System office, or work chosen by the faculty member that improves the College classroom, student experience, College community, or CCCS.

Definitions

For definitions applicable to this procedure, refer to Appendix A

Procedures

1. Factors in Evaluation of Job Performance
   1. Faculty will be evaluated equitably and holistically according to their documented responsibilities, job description, and efforts to complete goals that they have set in conjunction with their supervisor. Faculty goals should be based on Board, College, department/program priorities, growth plan and performance objectives, past year’s evaluation, and the Statement of Faculty Excellence. These documented responsibilities and goals will determine the specific focus of the faculty member’s evaluation. The evaluation must include both instruction and service goals, which may contain goals related to professional development and service to community.
   2. A faculty member is expected to devote effort and attention to instruction and service to the College. Most faculty members will devote more time to instruction, but may focus more on service in such circumstances including but not limited to: provisional status; reduced teaching loads for department chair or other leadership duties; special assignments or projects, such as accreditation; work on a grant or innovation project; or where performance concerns have been identified.

Instruction

1. The evaluation of instruction will include, but is not limited to, consideration of student evaluations and direct observation by supervisors. Evaluators should consider all the following components of teaching:
   1. Minimum Expectations
      1. It is expected that all faculty maintain current syllabi, course outline, and course content and make them available to students in a timely manner; demonstrate currency in the field and in teaching methodology; incorporate appropriate instructional technology; incorporate student learning outcomes, display professional and courteous integration with students, and are available during office hours. Deficiencies in this area may indicate a ‘needs improvement’ for teaching (see Needs Improvement definition).
      2. Compliance with Board Policies (BPs) and System Procedures (SPs) is a requirement of all CCCS employees; noncompliance will be an overall negative factor in a faculty member’s evaluation.
   2. Teaching Excellence (SP3-31)
      1. Culturally responsive education
      2. Inclusive learning environments
      3. Demonstrated equity & inclusion skills (measurable, student-focused, and support equity in achieving learning outcomes
   3. Active Student Engagement (SP3-31)
      1. Empowers student to think critically
      2. Empowers learners to achieve academic, professional, and personal goals
      3. Creates an active learning environment
      4. Incorporation of Student Retention Strategies
   4. Robust Instructional Content (SP3-31)
      1. Content that is thought-provoking, current and relevant
      2. Meaningful assessment, and timely feedback (returned papers, tests, etc.; D2L grades; grade reports including early alert, mid-term and final grades)
      3. Documented Teaching and Curriculum Improvement based on Assessment Results
   5. Continuous Improvement of Teaching and Learning or Best Practices in Higher Education as related to college initiatives may serve as a Teaching or Service goal (SP3-31).
      1. Implementing evidence based practices
      2. Reflection, innovation, and collaboration
      3. Maintain expertise in the field
      4. Personal enrichment in higher education structure or leadership

Service

Service includes fulfilling the mission and goals of the college outside of the classroom. Components of service to be considered in the evaluation should be based on the faculty member's job description, role, goals, and documented responsibilities.

1. Department Service (SP 3-31)
   1. Curriculum Coordination and Development
      1. New Program/Certificate Development (NJC)
   2. Administrative Assignments
      1. Maintains Currency of Relevant Website Pages (NJC)
   3. Outreach
      1. Recruitment and Promotion (NJC)
      2. Organizing/Assisting Contests and Conferences (NJC)
2. Committee Work (SP 3-31)
   1. System Committee Work
   2. College-Wide Committee Work
   3. Campus Committee Work
   4. Department Work (NJC)
3. Other College Service (SP 3-31)
   1. Sponsoring Student Activities
   2. Participating in Student Activities
   3. Attendance at College Activities and Events
4. Community Service related to the College and tied to the particular faculty members’ goals and job responsibilities (SP 3-31)
   1. Serving as a college representative on a local board or commission
   2. Making community or professional presentations
   3. Serving as a liaison to local schools
   4. Serving as an elected or appointed member of local boards
5. Professional and courteous Interaction with Students, Colleagues, Staff, College Leadership, and the Community (SP 3-31)
6. Advising (SP 3-31)
   1. Serves as an Academic Advisor (NJC)
   2. Maintains Availability to Students for Advising (NJC)
   3. Accepts fair share of Advisees (NJC)
   4. Actively keeps up-to-date on program and/or transfer requirements (NJC)
   5. Uses and assists with updates on program check sheets, Navigate, Degree Check, or similar software (NJC)

Evaluation Procedure

The College Presidents, with input from faculty and other pertinent staff, will develop procedures for conducting evaluations that will assess each faculty member’s proficiency in performing the duties of their position. Such procedures will meet the following guidelines:

1. Faculty members shall receive annual performance evaluations from trained supervisors. The type of evaluation may vary. If related to performance improvement plans or changes in faculty role and responsibilities, the delegated faculty supervisor has discretion to require more frequent evaluations.
2. There are two types of Faculty evaluations
   1. Standard. This evaluation is used for faculty with less than 6 years of continuous service as a Faculty member at NJC or any faculty member whose performance has not reached an Exemplary level as evidenced by a rating of Exemplary for two out of the past five years.
   2. Abbreviated. This evaluation is used for any Faculty member with more than five years of continuous service as a Faculty member at NJC who has achieved a Commendable rating for each of the last five years.
3. All faculty members will be fully evaluated every five years.
4. Faculty members will develop and submit for supervisor approval an annual performance plan that must include goals related to instruction and service. Individual performance goals are based on the faculty member’s documented responsibilities and their department and College goals.
   1. Faculty members will send their completed Faculty Performance Plan and Evaluation Form outlining their proposed performance objectives to their supervisor at least one week prior to the Initial Conference.
   2. The college administration and/or the supervisor may also require performance objectives of all or individual faculty based on previous performance and/or college/department goals.
   3. Faculty members meet with their supervisors to agree upon performance objectives. Agreed upon objectives will then be approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The conferences and approval must occur between May 15 and September 30 of each academic year. New faculty members will have this conference as soon as possible after being hired.
5. Goals may be changed during the evaluation cycle in the event of a change in faculty role. At the discretion of the supervisor, and in consultation with the faculty member, goals may also be changed by the mid-year review to reflect new responsibilities or a change that makes an original goal unachievable. Faculty who have goals with timelines that extend across multiple evaluation cycles should submit updates each year, until the goal is completed.
   1. All faculty members must submit an electronic mid-year status report to their supervisor by February 15. Provisional faculty and faculty members who received a “Needs Improvement” rating for the prior evaluation must meet with their supervisor by January 31 to discuss the mid-year status report and be evaluated on their progress. This evaluation will be considered the second evaluation period for those faculty who received a “Needs Improvement” on their prior evaluation. A mid-year goals meeting can be requested by either the faculty member or department chair.
6. Faculty members will prepare a reflective summary of their activities for the year and the contribution and outcome of those activities to teaching, service and their performance goals. This will include a written description of how each objective has been met or progress made must be included. Significant college activities in addition to performance objective accomplishments should also be included. This document must be submitted to supervisors at least one week prior to the Summary Year-End Conference, but no earlier than May 5th and no later than May 25th. The document serves as a basis for discussion between the faculty member and the supervisor during the Summary Conference.
7. Performance evaluations and ratings shall be narrative, not numerical. They should also be concise and demonstrate the specific work accomplished by the faculty member that year, including individual goals. There shall be three performance ratings: Exemplary, Commendable, and Needs Improvement.
8. A formal evaluation conference shall be held at least once during each evaluation cycle. A written report of the faculty member’s performance, including supervisor’s rationale for the rating, will be provided to the faculty member.
   1. A summary conference must occur between May 10th and June 10th. The supervisor’s overall performance summary and overall performance evaluation rating will be completed and available for discussion and review at the summary conference.
      1. Supervisors will provide a written evaluation and an overall performance rating determined by performance in all appropriate areas of responsibility, using the definitions of performance ratings provided on page 10 of this plan.
      2. During the summary conference, the faculty member and supervisor will discuss the faculty member’s overall performance with regards documented responsibilities, job description, reflective summary, supervisors’ personal observations, classroom visitation, Student Course Evaluation results, as well as the supervisor’s evaluation.
      3. Faculty members should be prepared to discuss their job satisfaction (what the supervisor and college could do to increase/improve performance, morale and job satisfaction), their strengths, professional growth, service activities and any potential areas of improvement.
      4. Upon conclusion of the summary conference, the supervisor may choose to change the rating, pending additional evidence presented by the faculty member. A final copy of the completed and signed Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation Form (signed by the faculty member, their supervisor, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs) will be sent to the faculty members no later than June 20th.
9. The faculty member shall have the opportunity to respond to the evaluation report for the record, which will be maintained in the faculty member’s personnel file. A faculty member may also petition for a review of the formal evaluation report per NP3-20a.
10. Supervisors will participate in ongoing training for faculty evaluation. Initial trainings are mandatory and are held annually for new supervisors, coordinated by CCCS. Failure to attend training may result in suspension of supervisor duties. Additional trainings will be held by either CCCS or individual institutions and are designed to keep all supervisors’ current with CCCS faculty evaluation guidelines.
11. This procedure, including the supervisor trainings, will be regularly reviewed and any changes shall be made by a committee comprised of faculty members and/or faculty supervisors from all thirteen (13) Colleges.

Definitions of Performance Ratings

Per SP3-31 there shall be three performance ratings: Exemplary, Commendable, and Needs Improvement.

Exemplary

To receive a rating of “exemplary,” a faculty member must exhibit clearly superior performance contributions and consistently surpass position requirements in all areas and goals. Examples of qualities or activities an “exemplary” faculty member might demonstrate in instruction include, but are not limited to:

• Exceptional proficiencies in both instructional delivery and course design and planning; Engaging students at a high level
• Demonstrating a strong commitment to using assessment data to guide revision of their teaching methods to improve student outcomes
• Leading the integration of new technology into the classroom
• Developing new courses or curriculum either in the classroom or online that are of impressive quality.

When considering service, exemplary faculty consistently perform their department and discipline responsibilities at a high level and take active leadership on specific initiatives that meet significant College or department goals. For example, if charged with managing a career/technical program, they might demonstrate very strong relationships with industry partners that lead to high levels of program support, internships, and high placement rates for students. For general education faculty, it could be similar, but the partnership might be with a transfer institution.

Other examples that might characterize exemplary service include:

• Effective leadership roles in College or System committees
• Developing significant relationships in the community that meet College goals (with institutions like K-12 districts, other colleges, or key business partners)
• Making a contribution to their field of study, either in published work, presentations, or service in a professional organization
• Leadership in broader College initiatives that improve teaching and learning like Learning Communities, Service Learning, Writing Across the Curriculum, or similar initiatives.

Commendable

To receive a rating of “commendable,” a faculty member must abide by all College guidelines, CCCS policies and procedures, and meet department, College, and Board goals related to their area of responsibility, including performance goals defined in their performance plan.
While they may occasionally or periodically demonstrate superior performance, commendable faculty members consistently meet basic instructional requirements (listed as minimum expectations in the Teaching section of this procedure), including following curriculum guidelines, College and department syllabus policies, assessment requirements, and deadlines for schedules and grades. They demonstrate currency in the field and in teaching methodology. They demonstrate proficiency in both instructional delivery and course design and planning, as well as striving toward innovation in teaching methods and a commitment to continuous improvement of student learning outcomes, including meeting College guidelines for assessment of student learning.

Commendable faculty members engage actively in service such as serving on department and College committees, engaging in department and College functions and activities, advising students as appropriate and demonstrating professional and courteous behavior. They also meet the critical duties of their assigned roles. For example, if charged with managing a program, they meet all basic program requirements, including holding productive advisory committee meetings and appropriately advising students. Or, if charged with hiring and mentoring part-time instructors, they provide appropriate screening, orientation, and supervision, including classroom observations.

Needs Improvement

A faculty member “Needs Improvement” when they do not meet the criteria of a “commendable” performance rating; they fail to competently meet the teaching or program management standards outlined above or in College guidelines, fail to provide significant service to the College or department, or violate the expectation of professional and collegial behavior. Any disregard for or violation of established CCCS policy or procedures or College guidelines may also result in this rating. 

A faculty member “Needs Improvement” when their performance requires more than the normal amount of coaching, guidance and direction; they regularly fail to competently meet the teaching or program management standards outlined above or in College guidelines; fail to provide significant service to the College or department; or violate the expectations of professional and collegial behavior. Any disregard for or violation of established CCCS policy or procedures or College guidelines may also result in this rating.

Revising this procedure

Northeastern Junior College reserves the right to change any provision or requirement of this procedure at any time and the change shall become effective immediately.