Culling the Iowa Faculty

This proposed bill in the Iowa legislature reaches far past the abilities of my ‘word horde’: Senate File 64 – Introduced

SENATE FILE 64

BY CHELGREN

A BILL FOR An Act relating to the teaching effectiveness and employment of professors employed by institutions of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents.

 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

Section 1. Section 262.9, subsection 25, Code 2015, is amended to read as follows:

a. Require that any professor employed by an institution of higher learning under the control of the board teach at least one course offered for academic credit per semester. (1) Collaborate with the institutions of higher learning under the board’s control to develop and adopt the criteria and a rating system the institutions shall use to establish specific performance goals for professors and to evaluate the performance of each professor employed by each institution based on the evaluations completed by students pursuant to this paragraph. Each institution of higher learning under the board’s control shall develop, and administer at the end of each semester, an evaluation mechanism by which each student enrolled in the institution shall assess the teaching effectiveness of each professor who is providing instruction to the student each semester. For a professor teaching multiple classes in a semester, the institution shall compile an average evaluation score. Scores are not cumulative. If a professor fails to attain a minimum threshold of performance based on the student evaluations used to assess the professor’s teaching effectiveness, in accordance with the criteria and rating system adopted by the board, the institution shall terminate the professor’s employment regardless of tenure status or contract. (2) The names of the five professors who rank lowest on their institution’s evaluation for the semester, but who scored above the minimum threshold of performance, shall be published on the institution’s internet site and the student body shall be offered an opportunity to vote on the question of whether any of the five professors will be retained as employees of the institution. The employment of the professor receiving the fewest votes approving retention shall be terminated by the institution regardless of tenure status or contract. Develop a policy requiring oral communication competence of persons who provide instruction to students attending institutions under the control of the board. The policy shall include a student evaluation mechanism which requires student evaluation of persons providing instruction on at least an annual basis. However, the board shall establish criteria by which an institution may discontinue annual evaluations of a specific person providing instruction. The criteria shall include receipt by the institution of two consecutive positive annual evaluations from the majority of students evaluating the person.

EXPLANATION

The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. This bill directs the state board of regents to require that any professor employed by an institution of higher learning under the control of the board teach at least one course offered for academic credit per semester. The board must also collaborate with the institutions to develop and adopt the criteria and rating system the institutions shall use to establish specific performance goals for professors and to evaluate the performance of each professor employed by each institution based on the evaluations completed by students. Each of the regents universities must develop, and administer at the end of each semester, an evaluation mechanism each student enrolled in the university must use to assess the teaching effectiveness of each professor providing instruction to the student each semester. For a professor teaching multiple classes in a semester, the institution shall compile an average evaluation score. Scores are not cumulative. The names of the five professors who rank lowest on their institution’s evaluation for the semester, but who scored above the minimum threshold of performance, shall be published on the institution’s internet site and the student body shall be offered an opportunity to vote on the question of whether any of the five professors will be retained as employees of the institution. If a professor fails to attain a minimum threshold of performance based on the evaluations or receives the fewest votes approving retention, the institution shall terminate the professor’s employment regardless of tenure status or contract.

Update: Here’s a newer post explaining a little more about the fate of this bill.

26 thoughts on “Culling the Iowa Faculty

  1. This bill is absurd. Surely a better plan would be to have the five lowest-ranked professors fight for their jobs in the football stadium with the melee weapons of their choice, with the students giving a thumbs-up or thumbs-down when it comes time for the coup de grace.

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  3. Because there are any solid studies that show student course evaluations to be an accurate reflection of faculty performance . . . ? Oh wait, legislators aren’t required to know jack-poo about the things they try to regulate, especially if those organizations receive government funding of any kind.

  4. How about a “Professor Shaming” website where the five-lowest are required to be photographed with placards around their necks stating the offense they committed that led to the low student evaluation scores?

    “I required ‘too much math’ in my class.”
    “I gave an exam Friday afternoon before Spring Break”
    “I grade on BOTH content and grammar, despite the fact I teach a science class.”

    They could even monetize it by selling ads….

  5. Is this for real? Survivor: Academia.

    Because, of course, education is a service industry: paying fees is guaranteed success, right?

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  7. Let the politicking against individual board members begin. Cull that board herd and promote a faculty friendly board. It’s their game and they’ve laid down the rules. All’s fair in love and war. Live by the sword, die by the sword. Bye bye boardies, sad to see you go.

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  11. Reblogged this on History Chick in AZ and commented:
    Of all the bad ideas from those attacking higher education this one has to be one of the stupidest! In Iowa a bill was proposed to evaluate a professor’s teaching performance based on student evaluations and “If a professor fails to attain a minimum threshold of performance based on the student evaluations used to assess the professor’s teaching effectiveness, in accordance with the criteria and rating system adopted by the board, the institution shall terminate the professor’s employment regardless of tenure status or contract. ” And “The names of the five professors who rank lowest on their institution’s evaluation for the semester, but who scored above the minimum threshold of performance, shall be published on the institution’s internet site and the student body shall be offered an opportunity to vote on the question of whether any of the five professors will be retained as employees of the institution. The employment of the professor receiving the fewest votes approving retention shall be terminated by the institution regardless of tenure status or contract.”
    These people obviously know nothing about teaching or, more importantly, the relationship between teaching quality and student evaluations. Teaching evaluations often reflect the likability of the teacher and whether or not the student enjoyed the class (either because they liked the subject or because it was easy). The easiest way to improve your course evaluations is by making the course easy. I can just see it now. If this was implemented it would be a race to the bottom as professors worried more about making their students happy, rather than educating them! Yikes!

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  17. The USA is a free-market economy. How many people outside of Academia lose their jobs because the rest of the crew doesn’t like their personalities? Happens every day. Yet, too few cry foul when that happens. However, when anyone even tries to have a discussion about education it becomes a “hot button issue” or a “hot potato.”

    As much as some people don’t like it, there are teachers/professors that were not meant to be teachers/professors. If a large number of students report that a teacher/professor is not effective or they are not doing their job, then they should be fired. If I am paying for a class out of my pocket I better have learned things that are going to help me in my career and in my life. I should be able to decide where and with whom my hard earned money is spent. If someone was not meant to be a teacher/professor then perhaps they can go and work in a different profession, a job they might actually be effective at.

    Some professors take it upon themselves to act as a sort of god, culling students by suggesting that they read 1000 pages in one evening; an assignment most professors would not be successful at. What is fair for professors is fair for the student. Afterall, isn’t the USA the land of equality and aren’t we all just human beings? If professors don’t like the idea of be culled, perhaps they should refrain from culling students? Is it possibly Karma showing up on the doorstep of Academia?

    The education system in the USA needs refining. Change is sometimes a good thing. Finland is winning when it comes to education. Perhaps, we should seek their wisdom and find out why their teachers/professors are so effective? Oh, wait, progress means we would have to stop debating one another and actually DO something to make things better. Well, we couldn’t have that, could we?

    • The US is not a free-market economy and education most certainly does not fit market models. Who pays is not immediately relevant. Because their knowledge is incomplete, students are in no position to make “consumer” decisions. They should be heard but they should not be in control. In terms of education, furthermore, what is fair for students is not fair for professors. Their situations are not comparable. Yes, there needs to be change, but debate is a necessary part of effective change.

  18. Perhaps an article about why some professors choose to cull students would be helpful. Do we really want people becoming so discouraged that they drop out of college, take a minimum-wage job, and live on public assistance? Wouldn’t a college graduate that contributes to the tax base be a better option for society?

  19. On a personal note, the professors that got the best reviews from me were the ones that were tough professors (one gave me 2 exams/week and made us study over breaks). I gave him the highest ratings because he actually cared if his students comprehended the material and would even tutor students that needed help. He was willing to give as much of his time as he required from us.

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