SCSU New Faculty Orientation

1. SCSU New Faculty Orientation Co-Sponsored by the Faculty Association and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

2. Orientation Overview • Welcome and Introduction to the IFO • Welcome and Introduction to the Faculty Association • Introduction to Faculty Contract: Five Areas of Performance Review • Writing Professional Plans and Reports • Introduction to the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning • Questions and Answers

3. Faculty Association (FA) • Faculty Governance and Representation • Represents faculty perspectives and concerns through the Meet & Confer process and FA and University-wide committees • Represents the local campus during negotiations on the IFO/ MnSCU contract • Represents faculty in meetings concerning personnel matters and in formal grievances • Governance Structures • Senate • Executive Committee (some members serve on the IFO Board) • Meet & Confer • FA committees and University-wide committees

4. IFO/MnSCU Contract, Article 22: Professional Development & Evaluation “As the primary professionals in the teaching/ learning process of the university, faculty place continuous emphasis on the development and improvement of their professional competence and productivity. Professional growth occurs in areas such as effective teaching, scholarly or creative activity, and active involvement in the university community and professional organizations. Faculty scholarship and current knowledge of the discipline, together with a desire to improve pedagogy, are instrumental to good teaching.”

5. Article 22: Professional Development & Evaluation cont’d “Section A. Purpose. The purpose of professional development is to provide for continuing improvement in teaching, in other student interactions, in the quality of scholarly activity and other service to the university and community. The purpose of evaluation is to provide faculty with information which will contribute to their professional development. The evaluation processes are intended to be supportive of a faculty member’s desire for continuing professional growth and academic excellence. This process contributes to various personnel activities and supports the interest of each faculty member to achieve continuing professional growth and to pursue the highest possible level of academic excellence.”

6. Article 22, Section B. Criteria • Demonstrated ability to teach effectively and/or perform effectively in other current assignments. • Scholarly or creative achievement or research. • Evidence of continuing preparation and study. • Contribution to student growth and development. • Service to the university and community.

7. Thinking about Professional Development • Integrated life • Departmental culture • Personal choice • Feet on the ground first

8. PrologueFrom Professional Development and Evaluation Procedures 9/15/2004 The professional development and evaluation of faculty is vital to maintaining a quality university. Continuing improvement in teaching, service to students, scholarship, and service to the university and community is the hallmark of professional development at a university and should be a primary goal of every faculty member. Faculty and administrators both have a significant interest in supporting the professional development of every faculty member. Faculty members within a department have a critical stake in the professional development of their departmental colleagues and are best suited to aid in and evaluate that development.

9. Rights and Responsibilities • Department comments on PDPs and PDRs (may form a committee to respond to PDPs and PDRs) • Deans incorporate requests for comments on PDPs and PDRs in their published processes • Any written comments given to Deans or Department Chairs must be give to the faculty member for response; comments must be limited to the five criteria and must be signed and dated. All comments with responses from the faculty member will be placed in the faculty member’s personnel file.

10. Eleven Step Process I: Professional Development Plan • Consult with your Dean or Supervisor • Submit your PDP to your Department via your Chairperson • Department, colleagues, Chair’s comments will be given to you • Your PDP with comments will be sent forward to the Dean or your supervisor • Your Dean or supervisor will send you and Human Resources her/his comments on your PDP • You may provide a written response to your Dean or supervisor’s comments

11. Eleven Step Process II:Professional Development Report • Provide your Professional Development Report with documentation to your Department via your Department Chair • Department will send on Department, Chair, and colleague comments to Dean or Supervisor • You will meet with your Dean or supervisor to discuss your PDR and next PDP • Your Dean or supervisor will send written assessment to you, the Provost, and Human Resources • You may send written responses to your Dean’s assessment to the Provost or Human Resources

12. Writing Professional Development Plans • Use five contractual criteria as an organizing tool • Make sure the achievement of your goals can be documented • Write your goals in succinct, direct prose and in active voice • Write a few goals for each criteria (remember you can stress one contractual area over others in a given year, but you must demonstrate some progress in all areas)

13. Professional Development Plans:Writing Goals • Read Department, College and University Mission Statements, Goals, Strategic Plans. Choose individual goals that you can reasonably argue contribute to the achievement of those broader goals. • Solicit preliminary feedback on drafts of your Professional Development Plan from other new faculty in your Department as well as from Senior Faculty in your Department.

14. Writing Professional Development Plans • Hold back a few successes. For example: if you know you will be presenting papers at three professional conferences, only include two of those in your PDP. Report on all three, however, in your PDR. • In as much as it is possible, do not include anything in your goals that you are not reasonably certain you can achieve. For example: don’t promise to publish three articles unless you have three articles accepted for publication.

15. Demonstrated ability to teach effectively and/or perform effectively in other current assignments SAMPLE GOAL: I will develop assessable learning outcomes and an assessment instrument for my sections of XXX Course SAMPLE GOAL: I will provide preliminary feedback on students’ drafts of final papers in XXX Course

16. Scholarly or Creative Achievement SAMPLE GOAL: I will conduct preliminary research for an article on XXX. SAMPLE GOAL: I will join the Faculty Writer’s Group and get feedback for revision of my draft article on XXX. SAMPLE GOAL: I will complete and submit my article on XXX to XXX Journal for review.

17. Evidence of Continuing Preparation and Study SAMPLE GOAL: I will attend and present a paper entitled XXX at XXX Conference SAMPLE GOAL: I will maintain my subscriptions to XXX journals and memberships in XXX organizations. SAMPLE GOAL: I will attend CETL Faculty Workshop Days.

18. Contribution to Student Growth and Development SAMPLE GOAL: I will invite XXX student to collaborate with me in researching XXX. SAMPLE GOAL: I will act as a faculty advisor to XXX student group. SAMPLE GOAL: I will attend Advisor training sessions through the SCSU Advising Center and/or the CETL.

19. Service to University and Community SAMPLE GOAL: I will serve as a Department representative to Faculty Senate. SAMPLE GOAL: I will serve on XXX Committee. SAMPLE GOAL: I will serve on the Board of XXX Community Organization.

20. Writing Professional Development Reports • Use your PDP as an outline for your Report. • Connect your achievements to Department, College, and University Mission, Goals, Strategic Plans. • Provide documentation for every achievement.

21. Writing Professional Development Reports • If you fail to meet a goal, write about why you failed, what you learned, and what you plan to do differently next year. • Do not minimize your successes. • Solicit feedback on preliminary drafts of your report from both Probationary and Senior Faculty colleagues.

22. Writing Professional Development Reports • Use your PDP and PDR as a tool for organizing your priorities and time. • Remember that your PDP and PDR are public documents. Write them with an evaluative audience in mind. • Be honest. If you have questions about appropriate language, ask your Chair or a trusted Senior colleague.

23. Writing Professional Development Reports • Sign, date, and keep electronic and hard copies of all documents pertaining to your PDP and PDR. • Check your personnel file through the Human Resources Office once a year to make sure you have been given access and an opportunity to respond to every set of comments.

24. Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Events • Faculty Workshop Days and In-House Conferences • Perspectives on Teaching and Scholarship • Book Talks • Faculty Writers’ Group • Stone Soup

25. Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Resources • Faculty Consultants Program • Mentoring • CETL Resource Room • Memberships in the Professional Organizational Development association and the Collaboration (reduced conference rates) • CETL Advisory Board