Promotion Advice

The ANU academic promotions policy asks that staff supply 'Documentation to support evaluation of education/teaching contribution'.

The policy specifies that this should include 'the means by which judgements can be made' about such a contribution. For 'teaching effectiveness' it lists that these should include:

• Comments about teaching performance from other experienced staff or supervisor;

• Student evaluation of teaching;

• Curriculum/Syllabus evaluation by peers;

• The effectiveness as a supervisor of graduate students.

Suggestions are made below about how documentation addressing these categories of evidence could be obtained and presented. 

Overview

Gathering evidence of the standard of a staff members' contribution to teaching is not something that can be done at the last moment. Teaching evaluation is a key part of effective teaching or graduate supervision. For those applying for promotion this will need to be done over a period of years with information being collected incrementally.

Documentation to support effective teaching is complex, time consuming, and requires planning in advance of a promotion application. This approach is described in the information made available through this website.

Comments about teaching performance from other experienced staff or supervisor

The booklet 'Peer Review and Self Evaluations' details how teaching can be evaluated by self and by peers. It includes criteria and rating forms for use in evaluating teaching approaches, classroom practice, interactive websites and other teaching resources.

Student evaluation of teaching

CEDAM administers a central student evaluation of teaching service (ANUSET) , and to help interpret ANUSET results, comparative scores for standardised student survey questions can be found in the Ratings and Interpretations Guidelines.

Curriculum / syllabus evaluation by peers

The booklet 'Peer Review and Self Evaluations' refers to how curriculum can be evaluated by self and by peers. It includes criteria and rating forms for course outlines, course content, CDs, websites, and teaching materials.

Effectiveness as a supervisor of graduate students 

The need to protect the confidentiality of graduate students commenting on the effectiveness of their supervisors can create difficulties in collecting information on the effectiveness of graduate supervision. The CEDAM research supervision site makes suggestions on research supervision; encourages staff reflection and points to available resources.

In addition, staff should provide details of the number of student supervised, the number completed, time to completion, graduate student employment and student awards, medals and other recognition.

Documentation to support evaluation of education / teaching contribution

Evaluation of education/teaching should be performed in such a way as to coordinate information from different respondents.

Students can comment on classroom practice, course design and the relationships staff build with students. In addition to ANUSET, focus groups and customised surveys can provide evaluative information.

More senior university staff can comment on contributions in administrative roles in course and program design, student advising and policy development and implementation.

Peers can comment on the academic approach adopted and the role of staff in advancing the discipline by transmitting knowledge. Peers could be provided with standards and criteria (e.g. course objectives) on which to comment.

Staff themselves can provide reflective perspectives about their practice and changes made as a result of feedback and evaluation. They may formalise their reflections through enrolment in academic programs offered by CEDAM or by attending workshops and events.

Formal recognition of contribution can also be documented through nomination for teaching or supervision awards, publication of teaching practice or materials in education journals and the winning of grants to further teaching practice.

Student and organisational outcomes including student honours, pass rates, employment outcomes, student career decisions, organisational processes and policy changes also reflect education and teaching contribution.

Many staff use a Teaching Portfolio to collect information so they can more easily present a case for promotion.

Review of 2008 Promotion Round

A review of the 2008 ANU promotion round resulted in some changes being made.  A summary of the findings and recommendations can be viewed here.