Mar 19, 2024  
2021 Faculty Handbook 
    
2021 Faculty Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Faculty Evaluation



Evaluation Types

ACE believes in offering feedback through formal and informal means. The intention of this feedback is to assist our faculty in advancing their instructional practice. Additionally, it is our hope that the feedback provided will assist faculty members in growing professionally and/or advancing their career at ACE. The type of formal evaluation that faculty will receive depends on their position with the college. 

  • Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct Faculty will receive feedback on a regular basis based on the methods listed in the following section. 

  • Core and Senior Core Faculty

As full-time ACE team members, ACE Core and Senior Core Faculty will receive formal evaluations annually (at least) based on the methods listed in the following section. 

  • Instructional and Administrative Faculty

Instructional and Administrative will be evaluated according to the GPS model listed in the Employee Handbook.

Evaluation Methods

American College of Education is committed to providing well-rounded and thorough feedback to our faculty. The following tools will be utilized to provide feedback. 

  • Classroom Observations

To ensure high quality education and engagement, ACE faculty will be observed regularly. Faculty members will receive results of these observations and any coaching or support necessary to advance their instruction. ACE faculty can access both the department classroom observation form and observation schedule on Faculty Commons. 

  • Student Feedback

The College reviews student feedback at the end of each course to evaluate areas for improvement. Student comments are available to faculty. While the college realizes it is impossible to make every student happy, we do review student feedback for trends and/or consistent low faculty evaluation scores. If student ratings are consistently low, the college will support that faculty member through additional observations, coaching, and support. 

  • Mission & Policy Alignment

ACE is committed to delivering high-quality education in an accessible manner. We hire faculty members that align with this vision and who believe in our core values. ACE is committed to responding in real-time; thus, it is critical for all faculty members to meet response time, grading/feedback, and academic policy requirements. Faculty are evaluated based on upholding this part of our mission and core values. 

Feedback and Performance Improvement Plans

The College is committed to providing a high-quality academic program and student experience. In order to ensure we are meeting these standards, feedback will be provided to faculty. Academic leadership will work with faculty members on ways to improve their instructional practice in a supportive and direct manner. The College will also provide ongoing training to faculty members to assist their growth in requested areas. 

At certain times it may be necessary for a faculty member to be placed on a performance improvement plan. A performance improvement plan is constructed by the direct supervisor and presented to the faculty member. The plan outlines a specific action plan to reach the desired performance goals within a specific time frame. If that is not reached, the plan may be extended or other consequences, up to termination, may occur. 

There also may be times when, depending on the nature of the violation, immediate termination may be required.