SECTION D | PERSONNEL

PERSONNEL
EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

Procedure

EVALUATIONS, NON-FACULTY

All non-faculty employees, both full and part-time, shall be evaluated annually by their supervisor. Evaluations should occur at the beginning of the Spring semester and be completed and turned in to Human Resources before the last working day in May.

The performance appraisal shall be conducted by the immediate supervisor using the form provided by Human Resources and reviewed by the second line supervisor prior to the appraisal interview with the employee.

The evaluation discussion shall focus on the employee’s success in meeting the goals set for the evaluation period and setting goals for the next rating period.
Goal setting and developing performance objectives are an important part of the performance evaluation procedure. Careful consideration should be given when the employee’s goals and objectives are developed. Supervisors are also encouraged to get feedback from others that work closely with the employee being evaluated.

Once the evaluation discussion takes place, all required signatures should be obtained, and the document should be turned in to the Human Resources Office.
Seasonal or temporary staff shall be evaluated on an as-needed basis as determined by the supervisor.

The Human Resources Office is then responsible for filing the evaluation in the official personnel file for the employee.

EVALUATIONS, FACULTY

Navarro College values quality and effective instruction that leads to student success and the fulfillment of its mission. Therefore, the College regularly evaluates the effectiveness of each faculty member. Faculty are evaluated annually for the first three years of employment and every three years thereafter.

The formal appraisal process provides an overall evaluation of a faculty member’s work performance and the opportunity for the supervisor and faculty member to discuss work performance in terms of leadership expectations, goals, and responsibilities in four performance appraisal categories: teaching, course management, professionalism and continued improvement, and service. In general, teaching refers to motivating teaching methods, effective communication, good rapport, creating an effective atmosphere, effective evaluation of outcomes, academic rigor, adequate planning, effective use of evaluations, and conducting classes as scheduled. Course management includes demonstrating concern and support for students, fair and consistent practices, respect for student confidentiality, effective and timely correspondence with students, and availability to students. Professionalism and continued improvement refers to engaging in professional development, cooperation in accepting assignments, compliance with policies and procedures, collegiality within and outside of the department, and voicing concerns and finding constructive solutions. Service includes serving on committees, attending events, and assisting with student organizations.

The Faculty Performance Appraisal Form should be used for all faculty evaluations as it represents a narrative assessment which highlights strengths and opportunities for improvement in the four categories listed above, combined with the following rating system: Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, and Improvement Needed. Faculty are expected to score at the level of Meets Expectations for all categories. The appropriate dean creates and implements a Professional Growth Plan should the faculty member receive more than 4 Needs Improvement in the aggregate or more than 1 Needs Improvement in any of the four appraisal categories.

Evaluation Process

The faculty appraisal process includes four parts: a self appraisal, a classroom visit, student end-of-course evaluations, and an evaluation by the appropriate dean.

  1. Self Appraisal. The faculty member appraisal process begins in the fall semester of the scheduled academic year for evaluation, according to the division/campus faculty evaluation schedule, with the identification of performance goals by the faculty. In the spring, the faculty member completes a self-appraisal using the Faculty Performance Appraisal form, which is used in conjunction with the supervisor’s assessment.

  2. Classroom Visit. As part of the faculty appraisal process, the dean conducts at least one classroom visit. After the classroom visit, the dean meets with the faculty member to address the strengths and areas for improvement observed during the visit. If necessary, the dean and instructor develop a Professional Growth Plan to address areas of concern, and the dean monitors the instructor’s progress in correcting the areas of concern.

  3. Student End-of-Course Evaluation of Faculty. Students have an opportunity to evaluate faculty members every fall and spring semester by completing an electronic Navarro College End-of-Course Evaluation. The student End-of-Course Evaluation information is collected using the EvaluationKit system located on the students’ Canvas home page. Each term students will be asked to participate in this voluntary process that provides anonymous feedback on each courses' instructor. Faculty will decide whether they will offer extra credit to students for completing the end of course evaluation. If extra credit is offered, it must be included in the faculty members' syllabus and gradebook, detailing how students will be rewarded for completing the evaluation.

    The deans are provided links to the evaluation results and may review the results of the surveys. If student responses on the survey raise concerns with the dean, a conference is arranged with the instructor to address those issues. The electronic results are made available to individual faculty members after grades have been submitted for the semester. Faculty members are encouraged to review the student evaluations and to make appropriate adjustments in their classes as a result of student responses.In the regularly scheduled appraisals of faculty, instructors are asked to report in writing ways that they have used the student evaluation results to enhance their teaching. The department chair/program director looks for common themes, trends, and areas needing improvement. The department chair/program director then completes an End-of-Course Evaluation Summary and develops an action plan to address any areas of weakness.

  4. Evaluation. During the spring semester of the scheduled year for evaluation, the dean completes a Faculty Performance Appraisal form for appropriate faculty, addressing both instructional performance and out-of-class responsibilities. The faculty member and the dean then have a face-to-face meeting to discuss the completed forms, and faculty members are given copies. If concerns about the instructor’s performance exist, the dean may conduct additional classroom visits and/or create a Personal Growth Plan with recommendations for improvement. Based on the evaluation of the instructor through this process, the dean recommends to the appropriate executive dean the renewal of the instructor’s contract, renewal with specific conditions, or non-renewal. The executive dean then makes recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who notifies the District President of the recommendation.If concerns arise during the three-year interval between evaluations, the dean conducts an appropriate evaluation of the instructor, which may include classroom visits, conferences, and/or written assessments and progress reports.

EVALUATIONS, ADJUNCT FACULTY

Adjunct instructors are evaluated following the same 3-year cycle as full-time faculty, with new adjunct faculty members being evaluated every year for the first three years of employment. The classroom visit, review of end-of-course evaluations, and evaluation by the Dean using the Faculty Member Performance Appraisal Form are the same as for full-time faculty; however, the fourth section on Campus Involvement is not applicable for adjunct faculty. Also, adjunct faculty do not complete a self-appraisal.

APPEAL

Any employee may appeal their performance evaluation by submitting a rebuttal in writing to the Office of Human Resources within seven (7) days of receiving their evaluation. If evidence is presented that contradicts the performance evaluation, the Vice President of Human Resources can require the supervisor to amend the evaluation before it becomes a part of the employee’s personnel file. If no evidence is presented that contradicts the evaluation, both the evaluation as-is and the written rebuttal will become part of the personnel file.

 

Approved: May 7, 2015
Updated: August 25, 2020