Functions
of the Committee
a. Two
members (Chair and one other) of the SAC shall participate
by right at all regular department meetings and each shall
have a vote. The presence and participation of the remaining
members (but without voting rights) are at the option of the
department. The department retains the right to go into executive
sessions without students being present.
b. During
the first 15 minutes of a class meeting in the last three
weeks of each semester, the SAC will administer a teaching
evaluation form(s) according to College procedures. This will
take place in each course with an enrollment of three or more
students and will be preceded by the reading by the SAC member
of a uniform statement explaining the purpose of the form.
c. An
SAC member shall check with the faculty member before the
third last week of class as to the best time for the administration
of the form(s). Before the third last week of class the SAC
Chair shall give to the department Chair a list of the times
when the form(s) will be administered for each course and
a list of the students who will administer the form(s) for
each course. A copy of this list shall be posted in the department
for the information of the students. If supplementary questions
are to be asked in a course, the SAC member responsible for
administering the form(s) shall obtain the supplementary questionnaire(s)
from the instructor and/or department prior to administering
the form(s) in the course. Following the administration of
the form(s), the SAC member shall return the supplementary
questionnaire(s) to their source -- the instructor and/or
department.
d. Within
a week after the last class day of a semester, the SAC shall
give to the department secretary a sealed envelope containing
those page(s) of the evaluation form(s) which are for the
faculty member only. When final grades are submitted, this
envelope shall be given to the faculty member.
e. At
the start of the fall semester the SAC will meet with the
department Chair who will explain the evaluation procedures
concerning all members of the department. Notice of this meeting
will be communicated by the department Chair to all faculty
members of the department and any faculty member of the department
may attend. A written standard explanation of evaluation procedures,
provided by the Office of the Dean, will be communicated to
the SAC.
f. Annually
the SAC will read the teaching evaluation form(s) for the
previous academic year. In years in which a department is
preparing a formal written report, the SAC will meet with
the tenured members of the department to discuss the teacher's
performance based on the previous two years of teaching evaluation
form(s) and other information deemed relevant by the senior
members of the department. SAC members should examine the
prior two years of CEFs even in cases where a formal report
was written in the year prior to the tenure review. Before
the department prepares its report, the Chair and one senior
member selected by the candidate will meet with the candidate
to discuss the SAC's oral comments on his/her teaching.
g. The
SAC will prepare an advisory report for developmental purposes
on each probationary faculty member that will be given only
to the faculty member. This advisory report will be prepared
after the second year at Holy Cross for faculty with less
than three years prior teaching experience and after the first
year at Holy Cross for faculty with more than three years
experience. At a faculty member's request (Junior or Senior),
or at the SAC's initiative, the SAC may prepare a similar
report in any subsequent year. If a faculty member desires,
the SAC will meet with him/her to go over the report. In keeping
with the private and developmental intent of these reports,
they should not be placed in Faculty Files for the purpose
of evaluation.
h. The
department Chair shall do his/her best to see to it that the
SAC follows the proper procedures. In cases where questions
of procedure cannot be mutually resolved by the SAC and department,
the Dean of the College shall act as arbitrator.
i. On
the occasion of a prospective faculty member's visit to the
campus, the SAC will provide assistance and advice to the
department Chair in the evaluation. SAC members will not have
access to confidential files, letters of recommendation, dossiers,
etc.
j. The
teaching evaluation form(s) (other than those under d.) and
any statistical summaries for probationary members shall remain
in the departmental Faculty File through the year of the tenure
decision. If the individual is denied tenure, his/her Faculty
File shall be placed in the College Archives at the end of
the academic year following the tenure decision. If he/she
is granted tenure, that material shall be treated like that
of a tenured faculty member.
k. Teaching
evaluation form(s) and any statistical summaries for tenured
members of the faculty shall be kept in departmental Faculty
Files for three years and then placed in the College Archives.
l. When
the above material is sent to the Archives, there should be
a note to the effect that the material is not to be opened
without the permission of the department Chair, Dean, or President,
and that it may be sent only to one of those three.
