Faculty perceptions of faculty evaluation programs at selected private colleges/universities in the southeast United States

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the faculty performance appraisal programs at the participating institutions. Faculty perception, regarding the effectiveness of the faculty evaluation appraisal program at their institution can be an important part of assessing the program itself. The study attempted to identify whether or not faculty members perceive that faculty performance appraisal is effective? Institutions continue to have difficulty in implementing a successful faculty performance appraisal program (Cashin, 1978). This difficulty and the need for institutions to implement effective faculty performance appraisal programs were the rationale for this study. Through analysis of the appraisal programs of the participating institutions, the researcher sought to offer information which may assist other institutions in implementing faculty performance appraisal programs that are successful. Successful faculty performance appraisal programs are defined as programs that are effective in the area of true appraisal and lead to improved instruction. The study involved selected private “faith-based” universities/colleges in the Southeast United States. The full-time faculty (N= 290) of these private institutions were surveyed. The institutions combined serve approximately 6,000 students. Three of the institutions offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees and one institution offers undergraduate degrees only. Participants only evaluated their respective institutions; no institutions were specifically compared with other institutions. The population of the study was full-time faculty members of the aforementioned institutions. The data were analyzed using several strategies. Whereas this was a descriptive study, it was conducted using a survey relating to faculty perception of faculty performance evaluation. Initially, the data was reduced by analyzing the answers of the survey. The survey data were categorized into six main categories: Purpose of Evaluation, Criteria of Faculty Evaluation, Approaches of Evaluation-Teaching Performance, Approaches of Evaluation- Scholarship/Research Performance, and Use of Faculty Evaluation. These responses were analyzed according to how the components of faculty evaluation were emphasized. Means and standard deviation were the main statistical techniques used for the analysis of the data to answer the three research questions posed. The results of the study provided information pertaining to those components faculty perceive to be important within their respective evaluation programs (in rank order). Participants identified areas such as Purposes of Evaluation, Criteria of Faculty, Approaches to Faculty Evaluation: Faculty’s Teaching Performance, Approaches of Evaluation: Faculty’s Scholarship or Research Performance, and Uses of Faculty Evaluation. Information gathered during the study indicated that 60.2% of faculty perceive the evaluation program at their institution accurately measured overall performance. The study also revealed that 63.1% of respondents were “satisfied” with the present process of evaluation at their institution; 11.7% responded they were “very dissatisfied” with the present process of evaluation at their institution