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Faculty Review

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Of Members on Term Appointments

The performance of a faculty member on a term appointment shall be reviewed by the Committee recon Faculty during the fall semester of the last year of the appointment.

The Committee shall report in writing to the President before the final Faculty Meeting of the semester. The President shall notify the faculty member of his decision, in writing, before Christmas.

Of Part-time Members

Part-time teachers shall be reviewed at the usual interval for those holding full- time term appointments.

Of Members on Indefinite Term

The performance of members on indefinite term shall be reviewed by the Committee on Faculty every five years. The Committee shall report to the President with or without recommendation.

By Students

Each faculty member shall be obligated to provide at least twenty minutes of class time near the end of the semester, or during a final exam, for filling out the faculty/class evaluation forms.

Of Members of the Faculty Who Also Serve as Staff

The administrative performance of regular faculty members who also serve as staff (except for the President) shall be reviewed by the Committee on Faculty during the third year, and thereafter during every fifth year. The committee shall report to the President with or without recommendation. While this review is distinct from their review as teaching faculty, it may be conducted at the same time when the two reviews coincide.

Of Members by Virtue of Staff Appointment

Persons who are faculty members by virtue of a staff appointment (except for the President) are governed by the same review procedures that govern administrative and non-academic positions at Marlboro.

Review of the President

Reviews of the President remain in the hands of the Board of Trustees.

Criteria for Faculty Evaluation

The Committee on Faculty has adopted the following summary of matters considered in its reviews. The criteria listed below are intended to be suggestive rather than comprehensive. It is the goal of the Committee on Faculty to reach a fair and equitable overall evaluation of each faculty member; the specific criteria are designed to contribute to that goal.

  1. General commitment to the objectives of Marlboro College, as expressed in the Mission Statement and in the official actions of Faculty Meeting and Town Meeting.
  2. Fulfillment of professional responsibilities and duties and a willingness to carry an equitable portion of the work of the faculty.
  3. Quality of teaching: Marlboro College is primarily a teaching institution. Therefore, not only is the quality of teaching the most important criterion in evaluating faculty, but demonstrated excellence in this area is necessary for long-term appointments. Effectiveness in the classroom, in tutorials, and in Plan sponsorship is expected. In addition, faculty members under review should be prepared to discuss:
    • organization of course material and course sequences
    • appropriateness of class offerings for student needs and the needs of the Marlboro curriculum
    • class preparation; consistency in meeting classes and tutorials
    • emphasis on thinking and discovery as well as content
    • ability to foster self-directed learning
    • appropriateness of standards and expectations for student work; clarity of criteria for evaluation of student work
    • clarity and quality of written and oral expression; ability and commitment to the teaching of writing
  4. Ability to provide appropriate guidance and support for all aspects of student Plans of Concentration. Because of the importance of Plans, faculty must be effective in helping students to develop Plans, in supporting Plans, and in evaluating Plans at the end.
  5. Advising
    • willingness to provide appropriate support for and guidance of students, as defined in the Handbook section on advising
    • knowledge of all areas of College life and work as a basis for advising students
    • availability to students for consultation.
  6. Participation in college governance. Because of the formal delegation by the Board of Trustees to the faculty and by the faculty to Town Meeting of authority for governance of the College, it is vital that regular members of the faculty participate effectively in college governance. Such participation may take any forms. Participating in Faculty Meetings and contributing intelligently and creatively to faculty committee work are a minimum. Serving in administrative roles and reparticipating in Town Meeting and Town Meeting committees, in strategic and long-range planning, and in faculty or community retreats are also part of the work of the faculty generally.
  7. Commitment to professional development and continued scholarship or creative work; contacts with other scholars, artists, or resources appropriate to the field. Marlboro expects continuing independent academic and professional work, interpreted broadly, to help maintain the intellectual and artistic liveliness of the faculty and of the curriculum.
  8. Administrative cooperation. The College expects faculty members to facilitate administrative efforts by:
    • meeting deadlines for handing in course and tutorial descriptions and grades
    • meeting deadlines for handing in materials to the Office of Dean of Faculty
    • participating fully in colleague evaluations d. assisting in recruitment and retention efforts
    • regularly attending and contributing intelligently and creatively to special projects (programs, productions, etc.) and non-academic College functions (Family Day, Alumni Weekend, etc.).
  9. Ability to represent the College to the general public and the community outside the College.
  10. Personal characteristics appropriate to Marlboro:
    • ability and willingness to articulate and defend ideas while remaining open to and respectful of the ideas of others
    • intellectual courage
    • vitality
    • willingness to compromise
    • respect for and sensitivity to students and colleagues

Procedures for Faculty Evaluation: The Committee on Faculty has adopted the following procedural guidelines, in keeping with the regulations of the faculty and with the goal of maintaining fairness.

  1. Faculty to be re-evaluated will be notified early in the semester in which the evaluation is to take place and will receive a copy of these procedures, directing attention to this section of the Handbook.
  2. The Dean of Faculty is available for consultation with each faculty member to be evaluated to discuss the procedures and to determine any special arrangements that need to be made to ensure a fair and complete review of that faculty member's work.
  3. Faculty under review may submit such supporting materials as a current curriculum vitae, publications, or evidence of community service or academic activities outside of the College.
  4. Every effort should be made to secure all necessary information in advance of the review so that these materials can be studied carefully by the Committee. Thus, former Plan students must be contacted far enough in advance for them to respond prior to the Committee's deliberations.
  5. When conducting reviews, the committee should solicit opinions from all constituencies and may solicit opinions on curricular issues from the Curriculum Committee and on other issues it deems important from community and non-community members, as appropriate. In particular, opinions should be solicited from colleagues and students who work closely with the faculty member in classes, committees, or curricular areas. Committee members should submit their own evaluations of the person under review prior to the review so that they are free to act as representatives of the faculty in conducting an evaluation that takes into account all of the information available to the committee.
  6. The Dean of Faculty, the Registrar, the Admissions Director, and the Bookstore Manager will be invited to comment on the faculty member's fulfillment of his or her professional responsibilities as outlined in the Professional Responsibilities section.
  7. At the request of the faculty member or on it own initiative, the Committee may interview members of the community who are in a unique position to share information concerning the work of the faculty member. While faculty members under review may request that the Committee solicit such information, they must not themselves ask their students, colleagues, or members of the staff to provide such information. Faculty members in a position to submit reviews may also appear before the Committee at their own request.

  8. Following a study of the information available to it, the Committee will conduct an interview with the faculty member. This interview will normally begin with an opportunity for the faculty member to share with the Committee a self-evaluation.

    The Committee will discuss with the faculty member all aspects of his or her work at the College and will share with the faculty member its sense of both strengths and weaknesses.

  9. Based on the materials available to it and the interview with the faculty member, the Committee will draft a letter summarizing its findings and making a recommendation to the President, as appropriate. Such letters should not comment on matters that have not been raised during the interview with the faculty member under review. The committee shall report its findings to the President, with or without recommendation, and to the person under review.
  10. The President of the College will write to the faculty member announcing his or her decision.
  11. Marlboro College will provide access to one's own personnel file, as distinct from review file. Review materials shall remain confidential within the Committee on Faculty, except that faculty members may see copies of their course and tutorial evaluations. Colleague and other non-course or non-tutorial evaluations remain confidential; the person under review may see copies of confidential reviews, upon written request, only when disputing a recommendation or significant finding of the committee. If the faculty member will see confidential reviews, the authors of those reviews will be notified in advance. Upon agreement over the outcome of the review among the committee, the person under review, and the President, the review materials will be destroyed.