Texas Tech University is in compliance with Comprehensive Standard 3.7.2. 

Texas Tech University conducts annual performance evaluations of all individuals who have a teaching function. Four operating policies govern this process. 

Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty

All tenured and tenure track faculty must submit an Annual Faculty Report to the department chair. This report is the faculty member’s account of activities for the year and contains information on teaching, research/creative activities, and service. Furthermore, all faculty must have their classes evaluated at least once a year, using a uniform university course evaluation instrument. Individual colleges and departments may also administer evaluation instruments of their own in addition to the university instrument.  The results of university and any other evaluations are reported to the faculty member and to the department chair. The department chair prepares an annual assessment of the faculty member’s performance, with comments on activities in each category. A copy of this report is given to the faculty member, who is asked to sign it, along with the department chair, and a copy of the signed document is forwarded to the dean. The Annual Faculty Reports and department chair’s assessments form the basis for merit salary increases and are also included among the materials used to document faculty performance for tenure and promotion and are the principal documents used in the comprehensive performance evaluation process (see below). The specific university-wide policy and procedure for annual performance evaluation of faculty are contained in OP 32.32: Performance Evaluations of Faculty (http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP32.32.html). In addition, individual colleges and departments develop their own annual faculty evaluation policies which augment the university policy and which establish the specific criteria by which their faculty are to be judged.  

Salary increases in Texas public universities are based on merit. Annual Faculty Reports provide the principal basis for decisions on the relative merit of individual faculty members. Different models are used at Texas Tech University for making such decisions. The most common model probably is for the department chair to make decisions on salary increases. In other cases elected faculty committees may be designated to determine their colleagues' relative merit. A third model is for the chair and a faculty committee to collaborate in determining merit for salary purposes. The decision on which model to use is made by individual departments and colleges, in some cases by the department faculty, in other cases by the department chair. In all cases, the dean of the college must pass on all salary decisions and has the right to override the allocations made by a department chair or faculty committee. 

Some colleges such as Arts & Sciences and Visual & Performing Arts also conduct a third-year review of tenure probationary (tenure track) faculty. This review is a small-scale tenure evaluation in which faculty progress toward tenure is assessed. Faculty are evaluated according to the same criteria and policies as are used for tenure reviews. Following the third-year review, they are advised of their progress toward tenure and informed of any areas of weakness. In extreme cases, faculty may be given terminal contracts following an unsatisfactory third-year review. 

All tenure probationary faculty must be evaluated for tenure no later than their sixth year of service. The tenure (and promotion) process involves evaluation of the faculty member’s performance in teaching, research and creative activity, and service. Generally, most weight is placed on teaching and research and creative activity, with less emphasis on service. It is expected that faculty will demonstrate excellence in the classroom through student evaluations, peer class observation, review of course materials such as syllabi, examinations, handouts, textbooks, workbooks, and exercises, and similar items. Grade distributions and student performance on standardized examinations are other means of evaluating teaching effectiveness. 

The Texas Tech University tenure policy contains general criteria for tenure and promotion. (OP 32.01: Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP32.01.pdf)  Similar criteria are used in most colleges and departments for annual evaluations. The criteria are organized into three areas: teaching, research and creative activity, and service. These criteria are followed by colleges and departments, which have their own tenure and promotion policies and procedures, but the relative emphasis placed on each category and the evidence used to demonstrate that acceptable performance levels have been met may vary somewhat from those in the university policy. In no case may college or department tenure policies conflict with the university policy. The following passages, quoted from Texas Tech University Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures suggest the criteria utilized in faculty evaluation. 

Teaching includes an up-to-date knowledge of one’s discipline. In some instances teaching may be indirect, primarily in support of student learning activities. Faculty members also influence teaching by designing courses and curricula. Textbooks and innovative instructional material may be considered contributions to teaching. In addition, faculty members influence teaching in less tangible, but no less decisive, ways through such activities as counseling students and interacting with colleagues. 

Detailed and specific evidence of effective teaching should be included in the dossiers of faculty members being recommended for promotion and tenure. . . Faculty colleagues should be asked to evaluate the objectives, methods, and materials of courses designed and/or taught by the individual. Wherever possible, evaluation should also include evidence concerning the continuing performance of students taught by the candidate.  

Research and creative activity . . . includes written publications, nonprint presentations, funded grant applications and reports, exhibits, and artistic performances. Textbooks and innovative instructional materials having significant value beyond this campus may be considered contributions to research and creative activity.  

Professional service . . . include[s] serviced as advisors, committee members, task force members, and actively participating members of the university. Discipline-related service to the immediate community, to the state and region, and to the larger society represents important contributions.  

Participation in the activities of professional societies and organizations, especially through service in leadership roles, is a strong indication of professional commitment. Contributions through presentations and consultative services are regarded as further evidence of professional reputation. 
 

Comprehensive Performance Evaluations

Texas state law (Texas Education Code Section 51.942 (http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/ed.toc.htm, scroll down to Section 51, click, and scroll to 942) mandates comprehensive performance evaluations for all tenured faculty or faculty who have received a promotion at least once every six years and no more frequently than once per year. Texas Tech University conducts comprehensive performance evaluations on a six-year cycle. Annual Faculty Reports and chairperson’s evaluations are the principal documents utilized in comprehensive performance evaluation, but faculty are permitted to submit additional evidence of competency to perform the duties assigned to them (OP 32.31: Comprehensive Performance Evaluations for Tenured Faculty Members and Faculty Members Who Receive an Academic Promotion, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP32.31.html). As with the annual evaluations, each college and department has developed procedures that spell out the precise manner in which the comprehensive performance evaluation is to be performed for the area and unit. Performance expectations are that the faculty member performs competently in teaching, research/creative activity, and service. Faculty who are determined to be incompetent may be placed in a development program or face other remedial or disciplinary action, depending on the circumstances.
 

Faculty in Non-Tenure-acquiring Ranks

Texas Tech University policy classifies full-time appointments at the rank of Instructor, Lecture, Visiting Assistant Professor, Visiting Associate Professor, Visiting Professor, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Adjunct Associate Professor, Adjunct Professor, Research Scientist, and Research Professor as non-tenure acquiring ranks. Individuals appointed to these ranks are required to submit Annual Faculty Reports, which are reviewed by department chairs as is required of faculty in tenure-acquiring ranks. Other means of evaluation may also be applied to these faculty (OP 32.34: Approval of Faculty in Non Tenure-acquiring Ranks, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP32.34.pdf [a pdf file], Section 5).
 

Graduate Students

Enrolled graduate students who have completed at least 18 hours of course work in the field of teaching and who have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent may be employed as graduate part-time instructors (GPTI) who have full responsibility for classes they teach, i.e., they serve as instructors of record for a course or courses. (Teaching assistants [TA] are defined as students with fewer than 18 hours of graduate course work in the teaching field and who, therefore, may not have sole responsibility for a course.) Both TAs and GPTIs are evaluated at least annually, and most are evaluated for every course they teach. Procedures for such evaluations are specified in OP 64.03, Section 12. Evaluation and Supervision http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP64.03.pdf). As with other evaluation procedures, university policies may be augmented by additional policies at the college and department levels.   

Some of the college policies are available on line at the sites noted below. Others may be accessed in the college and department offices. 

College of Arts and Sciences:
           (http://www.as.ttu.edu/Faculty/Faculty_Info/body_faculty_info.html#Policies)
College of Education:  (http://www.educ.ttu.edu/docs/fac_handbook_03.pdf)   
College of Human Sciences:  (http://www.hs.ttu.edu/handbook.pdf)
College of Visual and Performing Arts:
          Tenure Guidelines: (http://www.vpa.ttu.edu/CGI/framesrv.cgi?loc=tenure.shtml)
          Third Year Review:
                 (http://www.vpa.ttu.edu/CGI/framesrv.cgi?loc=Midterm_review.shtml)
          Post Tenure Review (Comprehensive Performance Review):       
                 (http://www.vpa.ttu.edu/CGI/framesrv.cgi?loc=post_tenure.shtm)