7.1 Introduction
To promote institutional excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) supports a system of periodic performance assessment of all faculty members in order to evaluate effectiveness in areas recognized as essential to the institutional mission. These areas include activities such as teaching, research, clinical practice, administration, and public service. Although not all faculty members can be anticipated to have equal levels of commitment or are given equal responsibilities in each of these areas, performance in any area in which a faculty member has responsibility is expected at a high level of general competence. The evaluation process is also designed to enhance the productivity of the individual faculty member by facilitating professional development, encouraging personal growth, and guiding the faculty member’s achievement of career goals. This review process provides a venue by which each faculty member may discuss and plan his or her goals, aspirations, and needs with the department chair (or equivalent), and relate them to the mission of the department, academic unit, and institution. Such a process ultimately benefits the individual, as well as the department, the school, and the institution through increased faculty productivity.
In accordance with LSU System Permanent Memorandum 35 (PM-35), LSUHSC-S requires that all faculty members undergo annual evaluations to ensure that their academic performance is commensurate with their rank and status, and that they remain accountable for their academic performance to the university and the larger community. The evaluation process allows feedback and constructive criticism for faculty members with the intention of promoting individual achievement and facilitating activities essential to the mission of the institution, including education, research, patient care and other forms of service. In addition, such evaluations provide faculty members with guidance on advancement, foster career development and allow each faculty member to demonstrate his value to the department and the institution.
[Excerpt from LSU System PM-35, May 23, 2000 URL: http://www.lsusystem.edu/index.php/policies/permanentmemoranda/]
Because faculty members of LSUHSC-S perform a variety of functions, evaluation procedures are individualized. Each school within the health sciences center has established review procedures for gathering relevant data from multiple sources. These may include student ratings, peer judgments, administrator evaluations, and self-appraisals. The relative weight of each of the sources may vary from school to school. Data from all sources of faculty evaluation are utilized by department chairs/program directors and promotion and tenure committees when making recommendations to the dean for any faculty member seeking promotion, tenure or both.
School of Medicine
In keeping with the aims outlined above, annual evaluation of School of Medicine faculty members is done in the following manner:
- With the exception of those faculty members who hold a gratis faculty appointment in the School of Medicine, all faculty members shall have an annual review by their department chair/head using the LSUHSC-S Faculty Evaluation Form.
- All gratis faculty members of any rank in the School of Medicine shall have an annual review by their department chair/head using the LSUHSC-S Gratis Faculty Evaluation Form.
In the case of evaluation of a faculty member who holds a faculty appointment other than gratis, the formal evaluation must include a statement of the criteria against which the performance of the faculty member will be assessed. These criteria must be made known to all concerned. A written summary of this evaluation should be given to the faculty member and a copy placed in the faculty member’s departmental file. Evaluation results for each faculty member are recorded on a faculty evaluation form, and provide evidence of individual accomplishments in the areas of teaching, research/scholarship, academic advising, service, and administration (as applicable).
Prior to the formal evaluation process, the faculty member completes the self-evaluation sections of the form and submits this to the department head or designee for review. The department head or designee completes the department head’s evaluation section and then convenes a meeting with the departmental faculty member being evaluated. At this meeting, accomplishments are reviewed and recommendations for continued or new activities are made. The faculty evaluation program is designed to help maintain and improve the effectiveness of each faculty member, as well as to provide direction for administrative decision-making in the areas of reappointment, promotion, merit salary increases, and award of tenure. In addition, each faculty member maintains a current dossier. This dossier should contain the curriculum vitae, and other documents that evidence scholarly activity, teaching effectiveness, and service.
For gratis faculty members in the School of Medicine, the department chair/head shall review all available student and resident/fellow evaluations of the faculty member’s performance for the year and compose a summary evaluation. If applicable, the faculty member’s performance in the areas of research/scholarly work and service may also be addressed. The department chair/head shall communicate the findings of the annual evaluation to the gratis faculty member and also retain a copy of the annual evaluation in that individual’s departmental files.
The annual evaluation process is initiated during the month of July of each fiscal year with a reminder notification to all department chairs from the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the School of Medicine. The process is to be completed in the departments by the end of October of the same year. The evaluation forms themselves are maintained in the department to which each faculty member belongs and the signed completed faculty evaluation conference form (LSUHSC-S Faculty Evaluation Form) or notification form (LSUHSC-S Gratis Faculty Evaluation Form) is returned to the associate dean.
School of Graduate Studies
All faculty of the School of Graduate Studies are also School of Medicine faculty members and are evaluated according to the same schedule and methods outlined for the School of Medicine.
School of Allied Health Professions
The School of Allied Health Professions assures faculty maintains the highest level of effectiveness and professional demeanor in the classroom and clinical setting. The concept of faculty evaluation encompasses a range of processes designed to assess the quality and effectiveness of each faculty member. Each faculty member is assessed in three areas that correspond to the institutions mission: teaching, scholarly activity, and service.
A standard school-wide document is used to compile faculty evaluations and is administered during the month of July of each fiscal year with a six-month mid-year follow up visit with the faculty member to assure yearly goals and objectives are being addressed. Once the faculty member and his or her supervisor agrees on the initial set of goals and objectives along with discussing pass year performance, the evaluation document is signed by all parties and a mid-year date is agreed upon. Copies of this document are forwarded to the school’s Office of Academic Affairs where they are further evaluated and filed.
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7.2 General Principles Regarding Evaluation of Faculty
Each faculty member will maintain a current dossier. This dossier should contain the curriculum vitae and other documents that evidence scholarly activity, teaching effectiveness, and service. The dossier will play a role in the evaluation process.
Each Department Head or designee, such as Section or Division Head, is expected to meet with individual departmental faculty according to the schedule specified above. At this meeting, accomplishments are reviewed so that recommendations for continued or new activities can be made. It is critical for Department Heads to provide this feedback to faculty, so that performance and responsibilities can be adjusted.
Since the faculty members of LSUHSC-S perform a variety of functions, evaluation procedures are individualized. Each School within the Health Sciences Center has established review procedures for gathering relevant data from multiple sources. These may include student ratings, peer judgments, administrator evaluations, and self-appraisals. The relative weight of each of the sources may vary from school to school.
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7.3 General Principles Regarding Evaluation of Academic Administrators
The following is a list of academic administrative titles and the principles, which apply to their evaluation:
- Department Heads are evaluated every five years by their Deans, with periodic input from faculty in their respective Departments and students, when appropriate.
- Assistant Deans and Associate Deans are evaluated every three years by their Deans, with input from faculty, Department Heads and other constituents as appropriate.
- Deans are evaluated every five years by the Chancellor, with input from faculty and Department Heads and other constituents as appropriate.
- The Vice Chancellors are evaluated every three years by the Chancellor, with input from faculty and other constituents as appropriate.
- The Chancellor is evaluated every three years by the President of the LSU System, with input from faculty and other constituents as appropriate.
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7.4 Activities to be Evaluated
Teaching
LSUHSC-S recognizes that effective teaching is a primary responsibility of most faculty members. An evaluation of teaching includes, but is not limited to, the following which are outlined in more detail in the Education Portfolio:
- Scope of teaching responsibility
- Command of subject areas
- Communication skills
- Awards and honors
- Ability to plan, design, and implement academic courses
- Ability to evaluate students fairly and without prejudice
- Ability to mentor students and trainees at all levels
Research and Scholarship
LSUHSC-S recognizes the importance of research and scholarship not only to the general advancement of the health sciences, but also to the faculty member performing the work. Evidence of scholarly effort includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Refereed and non-refereed publications
- Participation and leadership roles at local and national meetings, conventions, and symposia
- Presentations at local and national meetings, conventions, and symposia
- Application for and award of grants and contracts
- Lectures and symposia
- Honors and awards
- Referral and consultation roles
- Service as an editor or editorial board member of a professional journal
Service
LSUHSC-S expects its faculty to be involved in service to the School and Center, professional organizations, and community groups of interest to faculty. Such service includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Committees, meetings, and other formal or informal sessions at the Departmental, School, University Hospital and/or Health Sciences Center levels
- Leadership roles within the Health Sciences Center
- Participation and leadership roles in professional organizations locally, regionally, and nationally
- Participation and leadership in community organizations
- Patient care
- Service as a member of peer review panels
- Awards and honors
- Referral and consultation roles
Administration
LSUHSC-S undertakes regularly scheduled evaluations of academic administrators (Section or Division Head, Department Head, Assistant Dean, Associate Dean and Dean) as delineated in Section 7.3 to help maintain and improve their effectiveness. Evidence of effective administration includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Administrative management
- Executive judgment
- Delegation of authority and responsibility
- Provision of academic leadership
- Planning ability
- Encouragement of faculty research and/or improvement of teaching skills and programs
- Communication of ideas
- Conflict resolution
- Availability and responsiveness to faculty
- Objectivity, honesty, and fairness
- Academic performance in the areas of teaching, research/scholarship, and service
Review evaluation form for additional requirements, faculty evaluations and directions at: http:/myhsc.lsuhscshreveport.edu/Uploads/Public/Documents/LSUHSC-S_FacultyEvaluationForm.pdf
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