Annual Teaching Evaluations at UNF

Please see the message below by United Faculty of Florida-UNF Union President, Dr. Cheryl Frohlich.
The note indicates that if your annual evaluation only addresses the student satisfaction ratings from your courses, you should look into remedying the situation. Excellence in teaching should be evaluated by using information beyond student assessments of teaching.
If you would like additional ideas on providing evidence of excellence in teaching, see the resources available on the OFE website.
http://www.unf.edu/ofe/teaching_learning/Assessment.aspx

Message from Cheryl J. Frohlich, Ph.D
Annual Evaluations

Please note that student evaluations cannot be used as the determining factor on any teaching portion of your annual performance evaluation.  If your teaching performance segment refers to how student’s rated you in the student evaluation of your class and that is the main determinate of your teaching evaluation, then your evaluation is grievable.  See below from our Contract.

₁₄ The use of student evaluations in the annual evaluation process is governed by Article 18.6 (3) of the CBA. Student evaluations ―are one useful tool‖ and, except as expressly provided in the CBA, the annual evaluation ―shall not be based solely on student evaluations‖. When using the student evaluations, the evaluator shall take into account results on a range of questions appropriate to the course.  (pg. 159)

Thank You

Cheryl J. Frohlich, Ph.D.

Department of Accounting and Finance

Ubiquitous Learning Conference

Please see the message from Garett Gietzen, Garett.Gietzen@ubi-learn.com, regarding the upcoming conference on teaching and learning. The deadline to submit proposals is September 4, 2012.

UBIQUITOUS LEARNING: FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE    

I-Hotel and Conference Center    

Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA    

12-13 October 2012    

http://www.ubi-learn.com

We are pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the Fifth International Conference on Ubiquitous Learning. The Ubiquitous Learning Conference examines the ways in which the affordances of new technologies are changing how, where and when learning takes place. It considers, for example, how computing and networking devices might benefit learning not only in the classroom but well beyond the times and places traditionally considered the purview of education.

Proposals are accepted in phases. The upcoming phase deadline is 4 September 2012. To learn more about paper session options and how to submit a proposal, please see the Call for Papers: http://ubi-learn.com/conference-2012/call-for-papers/.

The Conference welcomes participants from many countries and professional areas, including teachers, administrators, researchers, university faculty, managers and others interested in the possibilities of technology in learning. Each day features plenary presentations and a variety of parallel sessions. Proposals may be submitted for paper sessions, workshops, and pre-formed panels. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, virtual registrations are also available. Presenters may submit their papers for publication in the peer refereed 'Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal.'

Garett Gietzen      

College of Education    

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign    

Illinois, USA

A New Peer-Review Journal Publishes Syllabi

Have you ever considered your syllabus something worthy of critique and comment? If so, a new journal, Syllabus, will peer-review your syllabus. The journal has some advantages, such as sharing ideas among teaching professionals. Read more about this new journal and join the discussion in this recent Chronicle article.
http://chronicle.com/article/A-New-Journal-Brings-Peer/132407/

To view the first issue, visit the Syllabus website.
http://www.syllabusjournal.org/index

Some Advice for Mentees

Mentoring relationships in higher education can be rewarding for mentees and mentors. Not all mentor-mentee relationships are successful, however. In a recent Chronicle article, Allison Vaillancourt provides some advice for mentees on how to pursue a successful mentoring relationship. She stresses the value of setting limits in the relationship and being mindful of opportunities for reciprocity.

Read more tips on how to be a good mentee.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/how-to-be-a-better-mentee/31973

Can the US Keep Up With STEM Demand?

Reports that US students are falling behind students from other countries in science and math have highlighted a growing problem in the US. If we are going to compete globally, we must do a better job of preparing and graduating STEM students.

In a recent Chronicle article, S. James Gates Jr. and Chad Mirkin discuss the recent report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which calls for producing one million additional college graduates in STEM-related fields. Noting that approximately half of college graduates who initially express an interest in gaining a STEM degree end up with a non-STEM degree at graduation, Gates and Mirkin provide several suggestions for dealing with the call for more STEM graduates. They emphasize the need to retain those students who were initially interested in STEM degrees. Some of their suggestions include active-learning teaching approaches in introductory STEM courses and discovery-based labs.

Read more recommendations on retaining STEM students by linking to the article.
http://chronicle.com/article/Encouraging-STEM-Students-Is/132425

What strategies do you use to retain STEM students? Where do you see trouble spots, and what can institutions of higher education do about them?

Reactions to Grading

As a part of every semester, faculty provide grades for students (and for the institutions where they teach). In a recent Chronicle article, Ahmed Afzaal describes common misconceptions students have about grading and how instructors can address these misconceptions. Read more at the following link.
http://chronicle.com/article/GradingIts-Discontents/132789/

How do students respond to grades in your courses? How do you handle the discouraging comments and requests?

The Debate Over Abolishing Tenure

Over the past several years, institutions of higher education increasingly are deciding to offer their faculty members short-term contracts rather than tenure. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, "Should Tenure for College Professors Be Abolished," Naomi Riley and Cary Nelson present opposing positions on the issue.

Arguments against tenure suggest that teaching plays too small a role in tenure decisions across institutions of higher learning across the US. Arguments supportive of tenure suggest that concerns around a lack of academic freedom and the suppression of risky yet innovative teaching practices persist. Read the different views on the issue and post your comments below.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303610504577418293114042070.html