University of Wisconsin Colleges

Department of Mathematics

Department Bylaws

Appendix F

Merit Evaluations

The Department of Mathematics shall conduct reviews, of all continuing department faculty, that are in compliance with the UW Colleges faculty merit policy and procedures as provided in UWC Senate #14. These reviews, which will be the department's responsibility in alternate years, will assign a merit category to each department faculty member. The reviews will also provide the faculty member with a brief written individual performance evaluation.

The valuative judgements, whenever satisfactory performance is determined, should be construed as positive judgements. It should be emphasized that the merit judgement is for a two-year period only and should not be made on the basis of previous contributions. In this respect the judgement differs from considerations of tenure and promotion.

A. General Procedures

1. The Executive Committee of the department will be responsible for merit review responsibilities. The Department Chair will be ex officio without vote.

2. In those years in which the academic departments are required to perform merit reviews, members of the department shall submit a Faculty Activity Report (or Reports) covering the preceding two-year period to each Executive Committee member by January 5. Any faculty not submitting Faculty Activity Reports for the previous two years shall not be eligible for merit consideration.

3. A faculty member may submit, along with the Faculty Activity Reports, any other materials which the faculty member deems helpful in evaluating his/her activities as a faculty member during the two-year period.

4. No Executive Committee member will participate in her/his own merit review except for submitting materials to the committee.

5. The Executive Committee will designate a committee member to temporarily chair the committee for the purpose of evaluating the Department Chair and for providing the chair with a written evaluation.

6. The Department Chair should distribute copies of this policy and included merit criteria to all department faculty in a timely manner.

7. A department faculty member who has not been in position for the entire preceding two years, but requires a merit evaluation, shall be evaluated based on the material submitted for the appropriate period.

B. Criteria

The Executive Committee shall consider each faculty member's performance using criteria which consider performance in the areas of 1) teaching, 2) mathematical growth and contributions, and 3) professional service to the university and to the professional and lay communities. Teaching performance is to be given the highest consideration among these activities.

Some of the specific activities and information within these broad areas which the Executive Committee shall consider, when available, are listed below as a guideline.

1. Classroom teaching.

a. Results of student surveys of instruction.

b. Peer evaluations based on classroom visits.

c. Course materials developed and used by the faculty member.

d. New courses developed and taught by the faculty member.

e. New materials and revised approaches for existing courses.

f. Supervision of independent study, special tutoring sessions, and other such activities beyond the normal class load and teaching assignment.

2. Mathematical growth and contributions.

a. Mathematical publications.

b. Formal course work.

c. Completion of a degree.

d. Presentation of papers at professional meetings.

e. Awards and grants for mathematical work.

f. Attendance and participation in mathematical conferences, institutes and meetings.

3. Professional service (see Appendix J for guidelines)

a. University service.

i. UW System committees.

ii. UW Colleges committees.

iii. Campus committees.

iv. Contributions to organized student activities.

v. Contributions to campus sponsored activities.

b. Mathematical service.

i. Department committees.

ii. Professional organizations (offices held, committees, other participation).

iii. Refereeing professional articles.

iv. Advising high school mathematics departments.

v. Speaking to mathematics clubs and classes.

vi. Assisting with mathematics contests.

c. Community service.

i. Courses taught for U.W. Extension.

ii. Mathematical presentations to community groups and organizations.

iii. Non-mathematical but professionally related publications.

iv. Consultation and advising for community groups and individuals.

C. Merit Category Determination

The following procedures, consistent with UW Colleges faculty merit policy and procedures, shall be followed by the department and its Executive Committee in determining merit category assignments for individual department faculty members.

1. The Department Chair will assign to each Executive Committee member the task of drafting a preliminary written merit evaluation report for a proportionate number of department members. These drafts will be prepared and circulated prior to the committee meeting at which merit categories are determined. The designated committee member will prepare a draft of an evaluation of the Chair.

2. At the merit evaluation meeting, the Executive Committee will first determine whether any department faculty are not meeting the basic expectations for their position(s). A rating of unsatisfactory will be assigned to such faculty. A determination of an unsatisfactory rating will require a simple majority vote of committee members present and voting. All faculty performing satisfactorily will be rated as meritorious unless adjusted during one of the following steps.

3. All meritorious faculty will be considered one at a time. This consideration process will include a discussion of the preliminary draft that was prepared earlier with committee members providing improvements and alterations to the draft. The final written evaluation must include the areas of teaching, mathematical growth and development, and service to the university and community.

4. After the performance of all faculty have been thoroughly discussed, with adequate input for final preparation of the evaluation letters, the Executive Committee members shall each nominate a list if faculty to be considered for a rating of highly meritorious. Each list shall include no more than 40% nor less than 25% of the department faculty. Committee members shall then vote on each nomination and those who receive a simple majority of affirmative votes will be assigned a rating of highly meritorious. If the committee so decides, votes will be taken again of all nominees, and the process repeated until the list size satisfies UW Colleges policy.

5. The Executive Committee will then consider the list of faculty with highly meritorious ratings for reassignment as exceptionally meritorious ratings. A simple majority of affirmative votes of committee members present and voting shall be required to change a rating from highly meritorious to exceptionally meritorious.

6. The Department Chair will provide each faculty member the written evaluation of her/his individual performance and the Executive Committee's merit rating determination. The designated committee member will provide the Department Chair with the written evaluation of the Chair's performance.

7. The Department Chair will also inform department members of the distribution of merit ratings.