Ohio Admin. Code 3339-7-02
Miami university stresses the importance of high quality teaching and its impact on student learning and recognizes that there are differing professional views on the nature and utility of evaluation of instruction. The university also recognizes that the responsibility of demonstrating teaching effectiveness rests with the faculty and the department.
Teaching is a complex and multi-faceted process, requiring multiple approaches to measurement which extend beyond student evaluations of teaching. Much of the richness of information is not necessarily quantifiable, but relies instead on qualitative information.
Each department is expected to develop a teaching evaluation plan. The major purpose of this plan is to provide a process to enhance the quality of instruction, and subsequently, student learning, at Miami. When implemented, each plan should provide faculty with information useful in improving their teaching (formative) and for documenting teaching effectiveness for promotion, tenure and/or annual performance appraisals (summative). Accordingly, candidates seeking promotion and/or tenure are urged to submit to their departments/divisions a variety of evaluation results administered on a consistent basis.
Independent studies and other such courses, as well as classes with enrollments of fewer than five, are generally exempt.
A faculty member who plans to try a new experimental or innovative teaching approach in a single course may submit a formal written request to waive the reporting of end-of-semester or term course evaluation data for that course on their annual reports or promotion and/or tenure dossiers. The request should be submitted to the department chair or program director at least one month in advance of the first day of the semester or term when the course is to be taught. The request should include a rationale that includes a description of the new curricular or teaching approach to be implemented. New curricular or teaching approaches must be substantive (e.g., taking an interdisciplinary approach, teaching fully online, or incorporating service learning project). The chair or director notifies in writing the respective divisional dean and the faculty member of the decision to support or deny the faculty member's request to have the formal course evaluation reporting waived. Notification of support or denial must be made before the first week of class. Through this policy, faculty members are eligible to waive reporting of end-of-semester evaluations for one course every three years.
Digital evaluations will be conducted for formative purposes only. To further enhance the quality of the course, the faculty member is encouraged to utilize additional formative means of evaluating the course (e.g., small group instructional diagnosis, peer observation, assessment of student learning outcomes). See paragraph (C)(2) of this rule for examples.
Members of the faculty should consult with the dean of their division if they have questions relative to this policy, especially with regard to evaluation instruments.
Ohio Admin. Code 3339-7-02
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3339.01
Rule Amplifies: 3339.01
Prior Effective Dates: 09/23/1985, 09/30/1999, 09/30/2000, 10/14/2005, 10/31/2006, 08/20/2008, 11/14/2009, 09/12/2013, 11/05/2015, 10/17/2019