TEACHER EVALUATION PROCEDURES


Date approved:	20 December 2007	Date Policy will take effect:	February 2010	Date of Next Review:	October 2010
Approved by:	Head, Centre for Academic Systems and Resources (CASR)
Custodian title & e-mail address:	Manager, Teaching Services jsikora@uow.edu.au
Author:	Manager, Teaching Services
Responsible Faculty/ Division & Unit:	Centre for Academic Systems and Resources, Academic Services Division
Supporting documents, procedures & forms of this policy:	Academic Probation Committee Procedures Academic Promotion Committee Procedures Academic Staff Enterprise Bargaining Agreement Conflict of Interest Policy
References & Legislation:
Audience:	Public – accessible to anyone
Expiry Date of Policy:

Contents

1 Introduction / Background

1. The University of Wollongong provides a process which encourages teachers to seek regular feedback from their students on their teaching as a contribution to their personal program of career development and to teaching improvement. Feedback may be sought formally, through the process outlined here and overseen by staff from CASR, or informally as a routine self-managed component of normal teaching practice.
2. Teacher Evaluation is to be distinguished from UOW Subject Evaluation that is covered by separate policies and guidelines

1. Teacher Evaluations are provided by CASR at the teacher’s request. Evaluation allows the teacher to identify strengths as well as areas where improvement is needed. Teacher Evaluation results, in the form of an evaluation summary report, can be used as evidence in Academic Promotion and Academic Probation Applications.
2. It is essential that both students and staff have confidence in the security and integrity of the evaluation process. Results of Teacher Evaluations are confidential to the teacher who has requested them and are only provided to the Academic Probation and Academic Promotion Committees at the request of the teacher. Student responses are always anonymous.

Word/Term	Definition (with examples if required)
Academic Staff	Staff of the University of Wollongong (whether permanent, sessional or casual) who carry out teaching responsibilities under the authority of the Head of an academic unit
CASR	Centre for Academic Systems and Resources
Administrators of Teacher Evaluations	Staff or student of the University of Wollongong who conducts the evaluation in the classroom
Evaluation form	A two-sided form which includes a questionnaire with scaled answers and space for free text comments
Evaluation Summary Report	Aggregated results of the student questionnaires
UOW	The University of Wollongong

1. CASR needs the following minimum periods of notice to arrange and dispatch evaluation forms for a Teacher Evaluation to be administered at:

1. A Teacher Evaluation can only be requested by the teacher to be evaluated.
2. One Teacher Evaluation request will result in one Teacher Evaluation Summary Report being produced. Where more than one report is desired separate requests must be submitted.
3. A teacher can only be evaluated for one teaching role in any single subject, during a session.
4. The evaluation forms may only be used for the teacher named on the envelope. Using forms to evaluate a teacher other than the designated teacher will result in the evaluation being declared null and void.
5. A teacher may not conduct their own Teacher Evaluation. A teacher must ask someone else to administer the evaluation on their behalf.
6. There should be no close personal relationship (as defined in the Conflict of Interest Policy – Section 2 http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058674.html) between the teacher being evaluated and the person administering the evaluation.
7. A teacher being evaluated may not be in the room while the students are completing the evaluation. Remaining in the classroom or entering the classroom while the evaluation is still in progress, will result in the evaluation being declared null and void.

Academic Staff

a. Completing a Teacher Evaluation request and ensuring all information provided in the Teacher Evaluation request is correct.
b. Submitting the Teacher Evaluation request within the minimum period of notice required for the evaluation location (see 4.1).
c. Ensuring the evaluation forms are available at the evaluation location in time for the evaluation to be conducted.
d. Nominating a person to administer the Teacher Evaluation (see 4.6 / 4.7).

Centre for Academic Systems and Resources (CASR)

a. Providing a secure and confidential Teacher Evaluation process for all UOW Academic Staff.
b. Providing the teacher with a Teacher Evaluation Summary Report and, after the declaration of exam results, providing the teacher with the original evaluation forms, which include the students’ handwritten comments.
c. Keeping secure records of Teacher Evaluation Summary Reports

Administrators of Teacher Evaluations

a. Conducting the teacher evaluation in accordance with the “Procedures for Conducting a Teacher Evaluation” documentation contained in the evaluation envelope.
b. Completing the declaration contained on the front of the evaluation envelope.
c. Ensuring the sealed evaluation envelope is returned to CASR as soon as practical after completion of the evaluation.

Version Control	Date Effective	Approved By	Amendment
1	20 Dec 2007	Prof. Sandra Wills Director Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources
2	15 Oct 2008	Mr Ray Stace Acting Director Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources	Annual Review of Procedures
3	1 Feb 2010	Mr Ray Stace Head Centre for Academic Systems and Resources	Updated to reflect name changes, links and dates
4	1 Mar 2010	Ms Julie Sikora Manager, Teaching Services Centre for Academic Systems and Resources	Migrated to UOW Procedure Template for inclusion in Policy Directory