A rector magnificus is frequently and deeply involved with evaluation processes. With various committees, I discuss mid-term reviews (assessing teaching and research), research visitations, course accreditation, etc. Across the entire university that amounts to a great deal of assessment.
Part of the job
We evaluate quite a lot. There is absolutely nothing wrong with periodically presenting our work to knowledgeable outside experts to ask their opinion. In fact, it can be exciting to have someone ‘size you up’ professionally, simply as ‘part of the job’. Moreover it can often prove highly educational to have respected fellow academicians hold up a mirror to your work. Such reflection only helps one to grow and improve.
But let’s not exaggerate. We invest an enormous amount of time in compiling self-evaluation reports. Visits by assessment committees are carefully prepared and also entail the necessary costs. In addition, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable ‘peers’ willing to devote their precious time to evaluating their fellow academics. We know all too well that the value of any evaluation hinges upon the authority of the assessor.
A bit less please?
So we need to safeguard the measuring process when making evaluations, and keep a good eye on what it is actually about. Evaluations should contribute to improved academic instruction and research. And that won’t really be the case if good researchers and professors do self-evaluations, or are busy assessing others.
We can also significantly limit the burden by grounding ourselves in solid, reliable data on teaching and research. For research, I would consider these to be the number of graduates, (prestigious) publications, grants awarded, and other indications of professional achievement. In assessing instruction, it would mean focusing on matters such as student satisfaction, alumni placement in the labour market, profitability of certain fields of study, etc.
We must ensure that we have these (key) data well in hand. This will make evaluations simpler, more transparent, and less time-consuming. I am heartened by the fact the Tilburg University now utilizes so-called ‘control cards’ with solid, comparable indicators in the areas of instruction and research.
Part of the job
We evaluate quite a lot. There is absolutely nothing wrong with periodically presenting our work to knowledgeable outside experts to ask their opinion. In fact, it can be exciting to have someone ‘size you up’ professionally, simply as ‘part of the job’. Moreover it can often prove highly educational to have respected fellow academicians hold up a mirror to your work. Such reflection only helps one to grow and improve.
But let’s not exaggerate. We invest an enormous amount of time in compiling self-evaluation reports. Visits by assessment committees are carefully prepared and also entail the necessary costs. In addition, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable ‘peers’ willing to devote their precious time to evaluating their fellow academics. We know all too well that the value of any evaluation hinges upon the authority of the assessor.
A bit less please?
So we need to safeguard the measuring process when making evaluations, and keep a good eye on what it is actually about. Evaluations should contribute to improved academic instruction and research. And that won’t really be the case if good researchers and professors do self-evaluations, or are busy assessing others.
We can also significantly limit the burden by grounding ourselves in solid, reliable data on teaching and research. For research, I would consider these to be the number of graduates, (prestigious) publications, grants awarded, and other indications of professional achievement. In assessing instruction, it would mean focusing on matters such as student satisfaction, alumni placement in the labour market, profitability of certain fields of study, etc.
We must ensure that we have these (key) data well in hand. This will make evaluations simpler, more transparent, and less time-consuming. I am heartened by the fact the Tilburg University now utilizes so-called ‘control cards’ with solid, comparable indicators in the areas of instruction and research.
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Dear Professor,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this note, I agree about your opinions.
I only would like to add one little thing about "teaching evaluation" instead of "academic evaluation", if you allow me:
I think Tilburg University is spending significant time on surveys, but I don't think they are really efficient, at all! Because they are usually too standard or too general and mostly do not allow assessors to refer to any professors or courses specifically! Such surveys also may delivered quite late, making students possibly forget some of their real concerns or criticisms.
Just one suggestion in terms of teaching evaluation (according to what my home country does): At the end of each course, i.e. the very last lecture of each course, a research assistant should come in to the class first, and deliver one standard form of evaluation to students, about the course and the instructor. This takes at most 10-15 minutes. (And on that day, the professor also comes to the class 10-15 minutes late and enters the class only after the research assisstant gets out!) The forms are read by research assistants and electronic optical readers. Students can really complain or demand about their expectations specific to that course or professor. And the results are recorded and only accesible by the dean and the rector.
I strongly recommend you to do this as soon as possible. At least, I believe that you should start doing this for all master programmes, where marketing of the university is at the international scale.
I hope you will take this suggestion into account.
(I think something like this is done already in LLM Law and Technology, but not in LLM EU Public Law or LLM International Business Law.)
It could be also accesible by the coordinator of the programme, in our University, I guess... Thanks...
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