Task force to recommend alternatives for evaluating teaching

The Office of the Provost has appointed a Teaching Evaluation Task Force to develop recommendations for alternatives to Purdue’s current methods for evaluating teaching performance and impact. The 24-member task force was convened in response to a University Senate resolution, requesting that the Provost’s Office work with faculty, students and administrators to “identify proposed alternative assessment methods suggested by the academic units, as well as to gather feedback with respect to the use of summative course evaluation scores on the Promotion and Tenure Document and to ensure teaching excellence.”

Provost Jay Akridge has asked the task force to make recommendations for a flexible, holistic set of evaluation methods that can provide both formative and summative information on teaching performance for faculty and their units. Specific goals are to develop an unbiased approach for incorporating student feedback into teaching assessment, and to provide richer measures of teaching accomplishment that can be used in the faculty promotion and tenure process. 

The task force includes faculty from across colleges who have long commitments to teaching excellence as well as expertise in curriculum, educational psychology, and assessment. Led by co-chairs Richard Olenchak, professor of educational psychology and research methodology and head of the Department of Educational Studies, and Marcy H. Towns, professor of chemistry and director of general chemistry, the task force will study broadly the history of teaching evaluations at Purdue, the methods employed by our peer institutions, and the scholarly literature on teaching assessment. 

Task force subcommittees will submit reports for discussion by April. A full report with recommendations for action will be submitted to Akridge by September. 

Members of the Teaching Evaluation Task Force are:

* Kristina Bross, associate professor of English, College of Liberal Arts; associate dean, Honors College.

* Kady Diallo, undergraduate student, School of Management.

* Otto Doering, professor of agricultural economics, College of Agriculture.

* Joel Ebarb, professor of visual and performing arts; associate dean for undergraduate education and international programs, College of Liberal Arts.

* Sam Eschker, undergraduate student, PSG president, College of Science.

* Joan Fulton, professor of agricultural economics, College of Agriculture; Provost Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion.

* Kevin Hannon, associate professor of basic medical sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine.

* Jane Kirkpatrick, associate professor of nursing; head, School of Nursing; associate dean, College of Health and Human Sciences.

* Chris Ladisch, dean, College of Health and Human Sciences.

* Mick La Lopa, associate professor of hospitality and tourism management, College of Health and Human Sciences.

* Steve Landry, associate professor and associate head of industrial engineering, College of Engineering.

* Chantal Levesque-Bristol, executive director, Center of Instructional Excellence.

* Bethany McGowan, assistant professor of library science and health sciences information specialist, Purdue Libraries.

* Michael Melloch, professor and associate head of electrical and computer engineering, College of Engineering.

* Laura Miller, operations administrator, Industrial Data Processing.

* Dave Nelson, associate director, Center of Instructional Excellence.

* Richard Olenchak (co-chair), professor of educational psychology and research methodology and head of the Department of Educational Studies, College of Education.

* Trinity Overmyer, graduate student, College of Liberal Arts.

* Linda Prokopy, professor of natural resources and social science, College of Agriculture.

* Jenna Rickus (ex officio), professor of agricultural and biological engineering; associate vice provost for teaching and learning.

* Marc Rogers, professor of computer and information technology, Purdue Polytechnic.

* Marcy H. Towns (co-chair), professor of chemistry and director of general chemistry, College of Science.

* Mark Ward, associate professor of statistics; associate director of actuarial science, College of Science.

* Kip Williams, Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences.