Abstract:

Universities that strive for democracy and fair evaluation process of faculty retention and promotion should develop reasonable regulations taking in mind prospective advantages and disadvantages that such a system might ensue. Type, climate, and mission of University are significant variables that may affect the recommendations of establishing such actions. For universities going to afford proper recognition of faculty should embark on careful considerations before implementation of evaluation system. The purpose of the assessment should be obviously stated.

The practice of higher education faculty evaluation in the United States is a fact that most countries observe closely and carefully. Georgian higher education institutions are taking steps to reconsider their current faculty evaluation system; yet, the faculty evaluation remains a challenging factor that deserves close attention. A collaborative research between Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) was conducted to examine closely two out of three university missions of teaching, research and service.

The study analyzed specific teaching and research performance evaluation requirements for faculty across academic programs at NEIU. Qualitative method was chosen in order to investigate specific information as well give “voice to participant’s” experiences. The methods included close examination of documents involving institutional and departmental application criteria (DAC) for retention, promotion, and tenure. In addition, tenured and non-tenured faculties were interviewed to learn about their opinions on the current evaluation system.

We present that faculty of NEIU acknowledges the vital importance of the DAC’s as expose sense of ownership. Publishing is still perceived as the most complex factor. Student evaluations are given the highest importance in the evaluation of teaching and have become the deciding factor in retention, promotion and tenure.

Transferable Lessons to TSU, includes: advancement of university wide clear operational guidelines for evaluation of faculty; creation of a regulatory research system similar to Institutional Review Board; implementation of a peer review process; creating a standardized student evaluation system; faculty academic protection system i.e. unions, professional organizations and so on.

Faculty undoubtedly has to take part in creating the evaluation scheme, and trustworthiness by the administration must be apparent. Strong evidence has to support faculty performance and rewards through evaluation. Such a connection is critical in a decisive evaluation process.
The limitations to this study are that it focused on research taken at one particular University of USA. It is apparent that different findings will be obtained in Universities representing other socioeconomic levels of population from diverse regions of the US. Other extraneous variables might have addressed examining performance evaluation for various subgroups of personnel that said to be "off" the tenure track.

Every effort of faculty undertaken to correspond Universities mission to provide students with the best possible education has to be granted. Persons working in schooling has to enrich and disseminate education.

The research findings would contribute to move ahead internal academic and administrative reforms related to faculty performance.

Keywords:

Higher Education, Administration Decisions, Management, Education Policies, Faculty Evaluation.