4.4.4sr3 - SRTC Procedure: Evaluating Adjunct Faculty

Purpose

The purpose of the annual evaluation is to assess and communicate the nature and extent of an employee’s performance of assigned duties and to establish procedures, frequency, and responsibility for adjunct credit faculty evaluations.

Notice of understanding: Employment under the adjunct Letter of Appointment is for the time period indicated and does not imply or suggest a continuance after this period regardless of the evaluation process. Possible future employment is subject to satisfactory performance under the adjunct Letter of Appointment.

It is also necessary to understand that the College will conduct a continuous evaluation of programs and courses. Courses will be canceled if enrollments do not reach economically feasible levels regardless of adjunct faculty performance. The College also reserves the right to cancel, postpone, and limit enrollment, split or combine classes, and change instructors and class location when necessary. In the event a class is canceled, the instructor will only be paid for contact hours taught before class was canceled. Only the College has the right to cancel a class.

Procedure for Implementing Adjunct Performance Evaluations
Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) requires that all adjunct credit faculty members receive an annual evaluation according to the frequency and procedures established in this Southern Regional Technical College procedure. The primary purpose of this evaluation is to aid the adjunct employee and the College in achieving continuous quality improvement. Evaluations shall be considered in decisions relating to retention and further assignments. Procedures for implementing adjunct performance evaluations are provided below.

1. Instructional Evaluation

1. Adjunct faculty shall be evaluated by their supervisor at least annually on their overall performance in fulfilling their assigned duties during the evaluation period.
2. The employee’s immediate supervisor(s) shall prepare a written evaluation in a format approved by the Vice-President for Academic Affairs. In preparing the annual evaluation, the person(s) responsible for evaluating the employee shall consider, where appropriate, information from the following sources: students, peers, and employee/self.
3. Adjuncts will be notified that their evaluations are complete and available for their review.
4. Adjunct performance evaluations are to be signed by the evaluating supervisor prior to being distributed to the adjunct for review, comment, and signature.
5. The original evaluation signed by all appropriate parties should be retained in the adjunct employee’s evaluation file in the Human Resources Department.
6. If the evaluation reveals a performance deficiency, several remedial courses of action may occur. As appropriate, possible means of addressing the performance deficiency may include, but are not limited to:
   1. Instruction or counseling by the supervisor;
   2. Assistance provided by the supervisor with the preparation of syllabi, exams, assignments, etc.;
   3. Required attendance at workshops or other applicable training sessions to improve performance; and
   4. Removal from the list of those individuals who will be asked to return to teach or perform other duties for the division.
7. One or more of the following evaluation tools are to be used on a semester basis to evaluate adjunct faculty. First time adjunct faculty should expect to be reviewed using all tools during their first semester. Adjuncts who have successfully taught for the College in the past may be evaluated using fewer tools.
   1. Observation of class activity: Unscheduled observation is preferred to determine if class begins/ends on time and to verify that content meets state standards.
   2. Review of adjunct faculty syllabi and lesson plans to determine appropriateness with state standards.
   3. Review of contact/credit hour ratios to determine economical feasibility of enrollment.
   4. Assessment of online activity: assessment will be done utilizing evaluation forms developed by the Academic Affairs Division to determine if quality instruction that meets state standards is being delivered in a manner conducive to the diverse learning styles and the unique teaching environment.

8. Program/Division Chairs will review student evaluations of full-time faculty. Summary of these evaluations will be provided to the faculty. The Program/Division Chair and Dean will review negative evaluations with faculty. Negative student evaluations may cause additional evaluation requirements to be added to the Individual Improvement Program for the faculty member. Deans will evaluate all Program Chairs and Division Chairs within their respective School.

2. Student Evaluations

1. Adjunct faculty members will be evaluated using the appropriate student evaluation forms.
2. These evaluation forms will be processed in accordance with Institutional Effectiveness Division directions provided to faculty and students.

Responsibility:
The Vice President for Academic Affairs has the overall responsibility for ensuring this procedure is implemented.

Status:
Adopted: 02-09-2015
Implemented: 07-01-2015
Revised: 08-23-2023