Issued: August 25, 1999
Revised: February 14, 2012
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Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to describe the process for the student evaluation part of a performance appraisal that will assist an instructor who is a probationary or non- probationary faculty member, or lecturer to improve his/her overall teaching. The policy documents campus procedures for the student evaluation of instructors and lecturers. A separate policy, HAW 9.205, addresses Peer Evaluation of Instructors and Lecturers.
Background:
From August 25, 1999, HAW 9.204 covered both peer and student evaluations of instructors and HAW 9.205 covered peer and student evaluations of lecturers. With the current revision, the student evaluation of both instructors and lecturers are combined into one policy. Peer evaluation of both instructors and lecturers are combined into another revised policy, HAW 9.205.
Student evaluations were conducted by paper and pencil through the divisions until an ad hoc Distance Education Committee of the Academic Senate proposed that student evaluations would “be available online” for distance education courses. The Academic Senate approved the proposal on October 27, 2006. During Summer 2007, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA) had the Institutional Researcher investigate online student evaluation options, one of which was eCAFE (electronic Course and Faculty Evaluation) being piloted by several colleges at UH Mānoa. Beginning Fall 2007, the VCAA announced that eCAFE would be piloted by the College for all classes, both taught via distance education and traditional means. On October 3, 2008, the VCAA announced to faculty and lecturers that eCAFE would be “the only supported evaluation method available at Hawaii Community College.” An eCAFE contact was appointed in Fall 2009. The responsibilities of the contact include: setting up eCAFE for each semester; verifying instructors’ names for whom eCAFE participation is mandatory; working with department and division chairs (DCs) to ensure correct courses and CRNs are listed.
eCAFE is administered by the University of Hawai‘i Office of Information Technology Services. The list of HawCC’s 22 standard set of questions on eCAFE was reviewed by the Academic Senate’s an ad hoc Committee to Review HawCC’s Standard eCAFE Questions during 2008/09 and 2009/2010. During late Spring 2009, a faculty survey was taken on preferences to the revisions. Based upon survey results, the Academic Senate accepted the ad hoc Committee’s recommended revisions and approved 15 standard eCAFE questions on April 16, 2010.
On March 1, 2011, DCs agreed to make it mandatory for probationary and non- probationary instructors and all lecturers to use eCAFE as the instrument to gather student evaluations, effective Fall 2011. On September 20, 2011, DCs endorsed the revised policy. On January 27, 2012, the Academic Senate amended and approved the revised policy.
Policy:
It is mandatory for probationary and non-probationary instructors and all lecturers to use eCAFE as the instrument to gather student evaluations. All probationary and non-probationary instructors are strongly advised to include a discussion of eCAFE results in contract renewal, and tenure or promotion dossiers as part of an analysis of an individual’s teaching effectiveness.
Tenured instructors are also encouraged to participate in eCAFE, the student evaluation process.
Procedures:
- The eCAFE contact consults with DCs to identify all lecturers and the instructors for whom eCAFE participation is mandatory, and confirms that the correct course numbers/alphas and CRNs are registered in eCAFE (during the first 5 weeks of
each semester). - Instructors and lecturers receive messages to set up their courses in eCAFE, which enables students to automatically receive messages regarding the evaluation process (during weeks 9-11 of each semester).
- eCAFE is administered online to students (during the last 2 ½ weeks of instruction each semester).
- Instructors or lecturers must not be present during student use of eCAFE.
- eCAFE results are released to participating instructors and lecturers after grades are turned in (during the week after final examinations ends).
- Cs may access eCAFE results online and may request copies as needed
- Published eCAFE results are released on the eCAFE web page (one month after the student evaluation period ends). Published results from prior semesters are also available there.