The Teaching Effectiveness, Advocacy, and Mentoring (TEAM) committee's mission is to foster a robust teaching and mentoring program throughout the College of Sciences while also advocating to the Institute for instructor needs, resources, and support. The committee will also develop and implement a holistic process for evaluating teaching for critical review (tenure-track faculty), third-year review (lecturers), and promotion (all academic faculty). The approach developed will account for faculty contributions to student success activities and better honor the time and effort that College of Sciences faculty devote to the Institute's instructional mission by incorporating student and peer voices and instructor self-reflection.
The TEAM committee acknowledges the importance of developing a process and a rubric that can be embraced and endorsed by our colleagues. To achieve this goal, we will employ an iterative process focusing on continual, feedback-based improvement.
Guidelines for Effective Teaching and Letters for Review and Promotion Packages
A newly developed framework for effective teaching will be referenced for faculty undergoing critical review, third-year review, and going up for promotion beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year but will not be used as the basis for summative assessment. New faculty joining the College of Sciences in the 2023-2024 academic year and later should consider the framework as they prepare for and deliver instruction and as they prepare for reviews and promotion. Members of the TEAM committee are available for consultation at any time should faculty have questions or want to discuss their teaching.
The TEAM committee will prepare teaching effectiveness letters for faculty undergoing critical review, third-year review, and preparing for promotion packages beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year. A member of the committee will consult with each faculty member to determine the process for gathering information to support the letter. Student, peer, and instructor voices all are valued in the process, so all of the following will be considered:
- Review of student evaluation of teaching (CIOS) scores
- Select course materials
- A guided conversation with the faculty member to examine goals, rationales, and philosophies
- A classroom observation the context for which is set during the guided conversation
Assistant Dean Carrie Shepler will be available for consultation throughout the process and serve as primary point of contact for faculty and Schools. All faculty members will receive a copy of their teaching effectiveness letters prior to their deadlines for submitting review and promotion packages.
The TEAM committee has received feedback on the complete framework for effective teaching throughout the 2023-2024 academic year and will continue to adapt based on field and feedback with changes made in the spirit of honoring faculty effort in CoS learning spaces. Members of the TEAM committee are available and happy to discuss the framework and how you may provide evidence that you meet specific criteria.
TEAM Committee Membership
Emily Alicea-Muñoz, School of Physics
Federico Bonetto, School of Mathematics
Morag Burke, School of Mathematics
Flavio Fenton, School of Physics
Stephanie Reikes, School of Mathematics
Joseph Sadighi, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Eric Schumacher, School of Psychology
Carrie Shepler, College of Sciences (ex officio)
Sven Simon, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Emily Weigel, School of Biological Sciences
