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The Department of English considers in-class observation to be significant evidence of candidates' teaching performance. Observers who have been requested to visit classes by the Department chair are therefore expected to give a balanced appraisal of the candidates' ability to teach. At the same time, observers are professional peers, so that their relationship to the candidates should be not adversarial but cooperative.
When requested by the Department chair, the observer should contact the candidate and arrange for a class (or classes) to be observed at their mutual convenience. This contact should be made as early in the semester as possible and at least 2 weeks before the class observation is scheduled to occur. The period of observation should include at least 50 minutes of in-class activity, the majority of which is normally devoted to instruction by the candidate. Representatives of the Department will normally observe and not participate in the classes on which they will report.
In preparation, the candidate should send the observer three kinds of information: a) a course calendar for each course to be observed, b) if possible, supporting materials showing how the class integrates into the course, and c) directions on how to get to the candidate's classroom and office. Information on how to get to each campus is located on the inside covers of the Faculty & Staff Directory.
In the middle of busy schedules, the candidate is not obliged to host the observer at the campus. Whenever possible, however, the observer should visit with the candidate and discuss the candidate's teaching rationale. This can be done either immediately before or after the class is observed. If there are serious reservations about the candidate's performance, the observer should broach them to the candidate as soon as possible.
The visit must take place prior to November 30 in the fall semester and prior to April 30 in the spring semester. The observer should complete the observation report within two weeks after the visitation and send it to the Department chair, with a copy to the candidate. The observation report should have at least two parts, the descriptive narrative and the evaluation. When there are weaknesses in teaching performance, the observer should not merely identify them in the report but suggest, if possible, how they can be overcome.
If the candidate wishes to respond to the observation report, she or he may do so in written form. The reply should be directed to the department chair, with a copy to the observer, and should be sent no later than two weeks after receipt of the observation report.