Committee on Evaluating Courses and Teaching Effectiveness

Membership

Membership of the committee is to be broad and inclusive of stakeholder groups at Memorial University. A co-chair model has been proposed to ensure both academic and administrative representation with strong linkages to stakeholders and support units across Memorial University. The committee should include members with expertise in instrument design, statistical reporting, pedagogy, and teaching excellence. It is therefore recommended that, of the faculty representatives, one should be a subject matter expert in assessment/evaluation, one be a past chair of an academic unit promotion and tenure committee, and one be a Distinguished Teaching Award recipient. As the needs of the committee may evolve throughout the course of its work, authority rests with the committee to co-opt additional members as it sees fit.

• Co-Chair, Associate Vice-President, Teaching and Learning
• Co-Chair, Associate Dean of an academic unit
• Vice-Provost Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies
• Group 1: Humanities and Social Sciences, Science
• Group 2: Healthcare Faculties/Schools (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy)
• Group 3: Other Professional Faculties/Schools (Business Administration, Education, Engineering and Applied Science, Human Kinetics and Recreation, Music, Social Work)
• Group 4: Grenfell Campus
• Group 5: Marine Institute
• Three faculty representatives nominated by a teaching union,
• one from each of MUNFA, LUMUN, NAPE (MI Instructors)
• Faculty Relations representative
• Labrador Institute representative
• University Libraries representative
• Undergraduate student representative (MUNSU, GCSU, or MISU)
• Graduate student union representative (GSU)
• OCIO/Information Technology Services (ITS) representative
• Registrar’s Office representative
• Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) representative
• Centre for Institutional Analysis and Planning (CIAP) representative
• Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (SCUGs) Chair or delegate, ex-officio
• Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning (SCTL) Chair or delegate, ex-officio
• Senate Committee on Course Evaluation (SCCE) Chair or delegate, ex-officio

Mandate and Guiding Principles

The committee will make recommendations for the development of a broad system of evaluating courses and teaching effectiveness, including direction for the redesign of the CEQ process. The committee will oversee Recommendation 2 and its sub-parts from the 2019 SCCE annual report to Senate to specifically:

2a. Refocus the CEQ instrument to reflect the revised purpose
2b. Improve the reporting and use of CEQ results
2c. Develop and promote a broader system of course evaluation where the CEQ is one of several measures used

In addition to recognizing and elevating the value of teaching as a profession, and advancing excellence and innovation in teaching and learning, a comprehensive, institutionally-supported system of evaluating courses and teaching effectiveness should:

• Provide a comprehensive picture of teaching effectiveness based on literature and best practice;
• Be situated within, and informed by, the literature and practices of evaluating teaching effectiveness and student evaluation of teaching;
• Support principles of equity, diversity and inclusion;
• Promote a culture of respect;
• Utilize measures that are fair and free of bias, specifically addressing bias against race, sexual orientation and gender;
• Evaluate a broad set of assessment sources;
• Be feasible to implement and manage;
• Focus on constructive feedback and employ safeguards to mitigate harm;
• Generate information that is valid, reliable and practical for established uses;
• Offer flexibility and responsive approaches;
• Acknowledge the importance and value of student feedback;
• Complement and remain consistent with the revised purpose statement for the CEQ; and
• Be linked to professional development programs and services.

Terms of Reference

Reporting to the appropriate leadership body, the committee will:

1. Direct its membership into working groups as needed to focus on specific aspects of Recommendation 2, utilizing member expertise in instrument design, statistical reporting, pedagogy, and teaching excellence.
2. Consider the background information and issue identification compiled by the Senate Committee on Course Evaluation (SCCE) in relation to the CEQ.
3. Identify and consider alternative forms of collecting evidence of teaching effectiveness in addition to student course ratings.
4. Conduct consultations with all stakeholders - instructors, students, and administrators across all units and campuses of Memorial to determine needs related to the evaluation of courses and teaching effectiveness.
5. Consult with other constituents as needed.
6. Identify appropriate uses of evaluation results and reports.
7. Seek endorsement for its recommendations for an overall system of evaluating courses and teaching effectiveness from Senate Committees on, including but not limited to, Teaching and Learning, Course Evaluation and Undergraduate Studies, and Academic Council of the School of Graduate Studies.
8. Submit a report to Senate by January 31, 2021, containing recommendations for an overall system of course evaluation and the evaluation of teaching effectiveness that can be adopted and institutionally supported at Memorial.