Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Who may serve as a "peer"?

A.  5.3.1.1. For purposes of evaluation, a "peer" is defined as a tenured faculty member who is qualified in the same faculty service area (FSA) as the evaluee. When this requirement cannot be met, then the peer shall be drawn from a related discipline at either college. When the evaluee is being evaluated for an online assignment, the peer evaluator(s) should also have experience in online assignments. In exceptional circumstances when a subject matter expert cannot be found within the District, a peer with the subject matter expertise can be selected from outside of the District upon approval of the College President.

5.3.1.2. In cases where the peer does not complete the evaluation, the management component of the evaluation process shall count additionally in place of the peer component.

Q. How many components are required to complete an evaluation?
A. One peer and one manager evaluation are required for each part-time and full-time instructor being evaluated. An instructor on tenure-track has a Tenure Review Committee made up of one manager and two peers. A student component (scantron questionnaires) goes out for each required section that shall be evaluated by the students.

Q. When does a new prep trigger an out of cycle evaluation?
A. Adjunct instructors teaching a new prep will be evaluated the first semester they teach the new prep. Full time faculty and faculty on Tenure Track are not evaluated out of cycle due to a new prep. Faculty teaching at an off campus site or online are not considered to be teaching a new preparation. Such instances do not constitute an out of cycle evaluation. (AFT 5.8.1)

Q. What does a peer review evaluation consist of?
A. For purposes of evaluation, a "review" is defined as an observation of a teaching situation (laboratory, lecture, online) or other student contact situation (counseling, library orientation, etc.) for at least fifty (50) minutes and an assessment of compliance with the evaluee's responsibilities as stated in the job description and her/his currently assigned duties. Additional reviews by any Committee member may be scheduled. (AFT 5.3)

Q. Why didn't I get a packet for every section the evaluee is teaching?
A. Student evaluations will be conducted in every class section for all faculty, as soon as the parties can implement a practical system for doing so. In the interim, student evaluations will be conducted for those faculty currently undergoing a formal evaluation following past practices.

• Past practices are defined below:

Student evaluations will be conducted in one (1) class period for each preparation in the case of tenured and part-time faculty (or in at least two (2) classes where there is only one (1) preparation) and in every class for contract faculty. (5.3.3.1)

Q. When may evaluations be administered for Full-time and Part-time faculty?
A. Evaluations may only occur following the commencement of the fifth (5) week of the class, and at least four (4) weeks prior to the end of the semester. Days and hours selected shall not interfere with scheduled examinations or other in-class assignments where the entire class period is needed for pedagogical reasons, and will be coordinated wherever possible with management or peer evaluations.(5.3.3.1)

Q. When are evaluations administered for Contract Faculty?
A. 5.6.2.1. Tenure-track faculty shall be evaluated at least every fall semester each year for four (4) years.
5.6.2.5. Observations in the candidate’s first (1) semester of employment will be done after week six (6) of the semester (or equivalent for shortterm classes).
5.6.2.6. Classroom visitations in the candidate’s second (2) through eighth (8) semesters of employment will be done anytime after the fifth (5) week of classes (or equivalent for short-term classes). For noninstructional faculty, these observations shall commence as deemed appropriate by the committee.

Q. I am evaluating an online class. How do I obtain access to it?
A. Please see the page on evaluating Distance Education Faculty.

Q. How do the students evaluate a webclass?
A. Students enrolled in a section that is being evaluated are notified electronically. The student performs an online evaluation, which is uploaded to the Faculty Evaluations Office. There is no facilitator needed for this student component. (see D.E. Faculty page)

Q. I have completed my peer review. Who gets it?
A. Please send your completed evaluations in a sealed envelope to Carolinn Torwick, Faculty Evaluations, room 70-175. You may send your review electronically, through the campus mail, or drop it off in person. It will be included with the final Summary Report and delivered to your dean.

Q. I have completed scantrons from an instructor's class. Where do they go?
A. Please send all student components in their original envelope to the Faculty Evaluations Office. You may send the packet through the campus mail or drop it off in person. The student comments will be included with the final Summary Report to your dean.

Q. What is the deadline for submitting student components and peer reviews?
A. Return all components for semester length faculty evaluations by the end of the 12th week of the semester. It is greatly appreciated that student components be returned to Faculty Evaluations as soon as possible to allow adequate time for compilation of scores. Please refer to the "deadlines" page of this site for short-term deadlines.

Q. Where do the Summary Reports go after they are completed by Faculty Evaluations?
A. Once an evaluation is completed all components of the evaluation and the final summary report (in triplicate) are sent to the appropriate division.

• The Faculty Evaluation Summaries are signed by the appropriate administrator and the peer evaluator(s).

• After review, the instructor/evaluee signs the Summary Report. One copy of the summary report is given to the instructor/evaluee and one copy is kept in the appropriate division.

• The original and final copy of the Summary Report is forwarded to the Vice President, and President for signatures.

• The final copy is then forwarded to Human Resources and kept in the employee's permanent file.

• The original scantrons are released to the instructor after grades have posted.