Provost's Update
Posted April 25, 2020
April 25, 2020
Dear Colleagues, I hope this message finds you well. Please be sure to read the message from President Mahony that was sent yesterday. Also, please be on the lookout for a message from Chancellor Pembrook in the coming days. In the meantime, I have received several questions about student evaluations of teaching. I will address those today. In the coming days, I will provide an update on the task force that will be launched to address Academic Planning for Fall and next Academic Year
Are faculty members required to collects data for the University's required student evaluations of teaching for Spring and Summer?
For Spring 2020, we previously indicated that faculty are not required to conduct SETs for hybrid and face-to-face courses for Spring 2020. The specific wording of that guidance can be found here: http://siue.edu/about/announcements/coronavirus/faculty/set-suspension-of-tenure-clock1.shtml
Subsequently, my Office has continued to receive questions from faculty members regarding the possibility of ALL Spring 2020 courses. Our guidance has been framed by a desire to support faculty as you navigate these unprecedented circumstances. As such, we have now included online courses in this temporary exclusion. All students and faculty for all classes, regardless of modality, have likely been affected by the pandemic. Please be aware that in some cases, departments may need SET data to meet accreditation standards, and faculty members in programs with specialized accreditation should consult with their chair and dean for guidance. In future annual and promotion evaluations, the absence of SETs for Spring 2020 will not be penalizing.
At this time, we are not suspending SETs for summer courses, but we will continue to monitor the situation.