University Governance

Task Force on Assessment of Teaching & Learning

The Faculty Senate Task Force on the Assessment of Teaching and Learning was established in the summer of 2006 to consider how faculty and other teaching personnel at the University are evaluated for their teaching and for their related scholarship.  In April of 2007, the task force submitted its final report, which was received and endorsed by the Faculty Senate.  The central principle underlying the task force recommendations is that evaluation should be focused on the development of teaching over time and that assessment of that development should be based on multiple forms of evidence, including class materials, student evaluations focusing on the characteristics of teaching that students are best able to judge, a reflective statement from the teacher, and peer observation and evaluation.  After receiving the task force report, governance requested that the task force continue its work in the fall of 2007, with the specific aim of developing guidance documents and testing a proposed student evaluation form.  The task force completed these charges and its proposed guidance documents and evaluation form have been reviewed and endorsed by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.  The work product of the task force is posted below.  Please submit comments, suggestions, or questions to the Governance Office at govern@ku.edu.