December 10, 2020
Reminder about practice adopted for student evaluations in fall 2020 semester
As we approach the time for annual evaluation, promotion and tenure, and reappointment processes for faculty, it is important to keep in mind the practices that K-State has adopted relative to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on faculty productivity metrics. Provost Taber’s message from July 22 explicitly stated:
For the purposes of any future faculty evaluation — including annual evaluations, reappointments, promotion and tenure decisions, and professorial performance awards — student evaluation scores from the spring, summer and fall 2020 should not be used unless explicitly provided by the faculty member. Faculty preparing their documents should add "COVID-19" to the affected semesters unless they choose to add their scores or comments.
He also noted that in all areas of faculty productivity, department heads and faculty involved in the evaluation process “should adjust their expectations for productivity accordingly,” and that there should “be no expectation that standard levels of productivity will be accomplished during these times.”
Considering the number of disruptions experienced by faculty during the pandemic — including the shift to remote teaching, home-schooling of children, possible illness in one’s family, working with students who were quarantined or isolating, and others — there should be no expectation for faculty productivity to remain at levels considered normal. It is important that all recognize the challenges that have been faced during the pandemic.
If you have any questions regarding these adopted practices, please contact Brian Niehoff at niehoff@k-state.edu.