The Academic Affairs Advisory Committee (AAAC) and Senate Assembly members have developed a process for the faculty members of each academic unit to evaluate and provide useful feedback to the Dean of the unit.
The purpose of the evaluation process and questionnaire is to initiate the regular, ongoing and constructive review of the Dean's performance by a unit's faculty. A constructive evaluation of the Dean allows faculty members to have input into the governance of the unit. It allows for the documenting of the achievements and progress of the unit's administrators, or lack thereof.
The Senate Assembly has developed a generic core questionnaire to assist faculty in establishing their unit's specific evaluation process. The Assembly's goal is to enhance faculty input into the governance of their unit and that of the University.
The academic environment of the University is the responsibility of its faculty, which should hold each unit's administration accountable for its performance. To this end the faculty of each unit of the University of Michigan are asked to review the performance of the Dean of their unit by focusing on 1) Leadership 2) Faculty and Program Development 3) Fairness and Ethics 4) Communication and 5) Administration.
The main goals of the evaluation process include the following:
A standard scansheet questionnaire was developed in 1993 by the Evaluation Subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Advisory Committee. This instrument was then modified with input from AAAC, SACUA, Senate Assembly, and the Institute for Social Research. AAAC reviewed the instrument in 1999 and modifications were adopted by Senate Assembly.
Each academic unit designates one or more Unit Review Coordinators. In practice these individuals have been Senate Assembly members. The Unit Review Coordinators work with the Dean and other faculty members in developing several "unit specific" questions. These unit specific questions are then added to the survey. Each unit's faculty representative is ultimately responsible for the number and form of questions used.
Each Dean has the opportunity to add an introductory statement to the review package.
The survey is provided on-line and only takes a few minutes to complete. The survey is available on-line for one month and access is limited to faculty members. As an alternative procedure, distribution and collection of the questionnaire may take place at a faculty meeting where the Dean is not present. Please note the responses to the narrative portion should be sent directly to the Dean by the faculty member in an envelope marked "confidential."
Each faculty member will receive a copy of the tabulations of results. The tabulation of responses are confidential and will not be released outside the unit by the AAAC.
If any additional follow-up instruments or processes are desired, it is the responsibility of the unit's faculty.
Each Dean will be evaluated in the third year of their five year term. A unit's faculty can, at other times, trigger an evaluation and the Faculty Senate Office will assist in compiling and distributing the evaluation instrument.
The Unit Review Coordinators (URC) consist of two (three or more in the larger units) of the unit's Senate Assembly members, and no more than one member (Dean or designate) of the unit's administration.
Access to a summary report of tabulated response frequencies for each item on the survey will be provided on-line. Access will be limited to the faculty members and Dean of the School or College.
The Faculty Senate Office will maintain one copy of the tabulated responses from the survey in a confidential file. These summaries will be preserved during the term of the Dean or for a period of five years, whichever is longer, so the effectiveness and consistency of the process can be evaluated.
As a Faculty Member
The most important element is full participation by all faculty members. Your careful and objective response to all questionnaire items is extremely important. If you want to be more involved you can contact your Senate Assembly members and offer to assist them in developing the unit specific questions to help reflect the concerns unique to your unit.
As a Unit Review Coordinator
You will be contacted by AAAC or a Faculty Senate Office staff member regarding the semester in which your Dean will be
evaluated. Please contact your Dean to determine her or his interest and willingness in participating in the process. The Dean may
provide suggestions for items for both to the survey and the open-ended
narrative questions. In addition, the Dean may prepare a cover letter to accompany the
evaluation. The most important element is full participation by all faculty members. Please encourage all faculty members to fill out and return the questionnaire by the deadline.
Fall Semester:
The Dean and Unit Review Coordinators receive notification that the Dean's evaluation is scheduled for the current academic year. A copy of the standard evaluation form is provided and the Unit Review Coordinators, working jointly with the Dean, are asked to develop from one to five unit specific questions. The Dean has the opportunity to add an introductory statement to the evaluation package.
Fall Semester:
The Unit Review Coordinator brings the evaluation process before the unit's faculty at a faculty meeting for discussion.
Mid December:
The Unit Review Coordinator sends a copy of the unit spceicif questions, if any, and the optional Dean's statement, if any, to the Faculty Senate Office so that the survey can be prepared. AAAC is notified of the progress of the evaluation process at each step.
January:
An email message, with a link to the survey, is sent to all faculty of the unit. Faculty members have 3-4 weeks in which to complete the on-line survey and mail in the written narrative portion.
March:
All survey results are tabulated.
April:
Access to the survey tabulations are made available on-line to all faculty members and the Dean of the unit