Extension Faculty Teaching Evaluations

Extension Faculty Teaching Evaluations

Below is a recent update on teaching evaluations from Marc Braverman, Program Leader for Extension Family & Community Development.

This page will continue to be updated as information becomes available.

From: "Braverman, Marc" <Marc.Braverman@oregonstate.edu>
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 17:16:59 -0700
Subject: Update on process for conducting Extension faculty teaching evaluations

Dear Extension colleagues:
 
I’m writing with an update on the changes in policy for teaching evaluations for county faculty (called “Citizen Assessment of Extension Teaching” or CAET). As you may know, the Extension Program Leaders formed a working group that examined this topic last fall and came up with some recommendations, which were adopted by the Extension Cabinet.  (I chaired the effort, which is why I am writing this update.)  In a nutshell, some of the primary recommendations are these:
 

• Teaching evaluation form:  A standard CAET form was developed by an Extension task force several years ago.  The task force attempted to make the form parallel to the form that is used for residential teaching evaluations, with changes as needed based on the nature of Extension teaching.  This was considered an important goal, in order to be useful for faculty engaged in the P&T process.  In our review this past fall, the program leaders revised the form somewhat, while still aiming to keep it as parallel to the residential teaching form as reasonably possible, so that it would be interpretable by non-Extension faculty who are reviewing Extension faculty as part of P&T.
• Procedure for administering the form:  As is presently the case, county Extension faculty will select at least 3 teaching sessions each calendar year for collecting evaluation feedback by learners.  
• The session participants who complete the forms can do so anonymously – they do not have to sign their forms.  (This is because the forms are considered parallel to the course evaluation forms completed by OSU students for on-campus courses, which also do not have to be signed.)
• Forms will be sealed at the time of the teaching session, and then sent from the county office to Extension administration.  The administration office will have the forms scanned, and the data summarized, by the OSU Computer Center.
• Extension Administration will then communicate the summary information to the faculty member and his/her staff chair and program leader.
• The first year of using the new forms will be considered a pilot test period, during which we will gather feedback and other data, for deciding whether revisions are needed.
• In addition to this feedback from learners, one or more peer evaluations is still strongly recommended, so that component is unchanged.

At present we are waiting for the CAET evaluation forms to be printed by the campus Printing & Mailing office.  Because the forms will be scanned by an optical scanner, which requires precise printing specifications, apparently it is not an option for Extension Administration to upload the form to its web site for printing on an as-needed basis.  
 
As soon as the teaching evaluation forms are printed, Extension Administration will distribute them to county offices with a full description of the new policy and the instructions for administering the forms.
 
On behalf of my program leader colleagues and Extension Administration, I hope this information is helpful!
 
Marc

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Marc T. Braverman, Ph.D.
Program Leader, Extension Family and Community Development
Oregon State University
161 Milam Hall
Corvallis, OR  97331
Phone:   541-737-1021
Fax:        541-737-0999
Email:    marc.braverman@oregonstate.edu

Extension Service Administration | 101 Ballard Hall | Corvallis, OR 97331-3606
Tel: (541) 737-2713 | Fax: (541) 737-4423