I. INTRODUCTION
 

The Teaching Incentive Program, first implemented in 1993-94, presents a unique opportunity to recognize and reward faculty teaching productivity, quality, effectiveness, and creativity in classroom instruction. The university has been awarded $215,000 in 1998-99 to continue the implementation of this program. These funds will be used to provide $5,000 base salary adjustments to faculty that have demonstrated outstanding classroom teaching. The following proposal for implementing the1998-99 TIP program has been developed within the overall framework of the SUS guidelines.

The Provost will allocate a number of awards to each academic unit (school/college) based on several factors, which include the number of, eligible faculty, student credit hours generated, and the number of classes which contain thirty or fewer students offered in each academic unit. The academic unit deans, in consultation with department chairpersons/directors, will decide how TIP awards are allocated among departments (and/or programs).

II. FACULTY ELIGIBILITY
 

    A. Eligible faculty must have a continuing commitment to, and emphasis on, classroom instruction, and have substantial teaching commitment during the past three academic years (1995-96 through 1997-98). (CBA 23.4(b)(3))

Full-time nine-month and twelve-month faculty members appointed to tenured or tenure-earning positions in classifications which include the ranks of professor, associate professor, and assistant professor are eligible for TIP awards.

Additionally, full-time and twelve-month employees who are appointed to ranks which are equivalent to professor, associate professor, and assistant professor (i.e., librarian series and scholar/scientist series), instructors, and lecturers are eligible for these awards. A list of FIU faculty classes eligible for the TIP awards is included as Attachment B.
 

    B. No employee may be selected for a Teaching Incentive Program award more than once every four years. Employees who received a TIP award in 1995-96 and 1996-97 are not eligible and will not be included in determining the productivity.

    C. The Provost or his designee will handle any eligibility interpretations not covered by these guidelines.
 

III. SELECTION CRITERIA
 

The award recipients will be selected based on continued commitment to teaching, teaching productivity, and teaching excellence.

    A. Commitment to Teaching

        1. For FIU, the definition of substantial commitment to teaching shall be based on an employee's assignment in classroom and/or laboratory instruction for six semesters for nine-month faculty, only Fall/Spring terms of 1995-96 through 1997-98 included. Summer terms are included only for twelve-month faculty.

        2. Directed independent studies, supervised research, and thesis/dissertation research are not included in the definition of substantial commitment.
 

   B. Teaching Productivity

        1. Teaching productivity includes one or more of the following measures: the number of instructional contact hours, number of courses, and number of student credit hours generated, while accounting for differences in course delivery and preparation, and providing for a balance between larger and smaller classes. (CBA 23.4(b) (3).)

        2. Each academic unit will establish policy guidelines how each of the criteria will be used in selection of award recipients.

        3. After approval by the Provost, the unit's productivity guidelines must be published and distributed to the faculty.

IV. EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY/TEACHING EXCELLENCE

    A. Teaching Portfolio: The purpose of the Teaching Portfolio is to provide an organized chronicle of one's development as a university teacher over time.

        1. Only those faculty who submit a teaching portfolio shall be considered for the TIP award.
 

        2. The instructional quality of each applicant will be evaluated by a unit review committee on the basis of the submitted teaching portfolio and other evaluative criteria established by the unit. It must include student evaluation data.

        3. The size of the portfolio will be determined by each academic unit.

        4. Additional guidelines for preparing the portfolio are included as Attachment C.

    B. Unit Review Committee

        1. Each dean shall charge the unit's review committee(s) with submitting recommendations of the most outstanding teachers from those applicants who submitted portfolios, as specified.

        2. An academic unit may choose a single college/school/department/program review process and/or a multiple (two and/or three) step review process.

        3. All levels of unit review must have a committee which includes elected faculty not applying for the award, and at least one student or recent graduate. The student/graduate will be selected by a process determined by each unit.

        4. Before any portfolio is reviewed, the review committee(s) will establish written guidelines on attendance, voting policies, and all evaluative criteria to be used.

    C. Administrative Review and Recommendations

        1. After receiving and considering the review committee recommendations, the Dean will forward his/her recommendations to the Provost.

        2. The Provost will review the nominations and make recommendations to the President, whose decisions are final.

August 30, 2001 Academic Units notify faculty of process and potential deadlines.

TBD    Deans approve guidelines and invite eligible faculty to submit portfolio.

TBD     Faculty submit portfolio to the Dean's office.

TBD     Last date for the unit review committee(s) to send recommendations to the Dean.

Friday, November 9, 2001     Deans send recommendations to the Provost.

Wednesday, November 21, 2001     Provost notifies the award recipients of the final decision.

RANK                                                                                       EQUIVALENTS

O1 PROFESSOR                                                                  06 ENGINEER, CURATOR,
                                                                                             06 SCHOLAR/SCIENTIST
                                                                                             14 UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN

02 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR                                              07 ASSOCIATE ENGINEER
                                                                                             07 ASSOCIATE CURATOR
                                                                                             07 ASSOCIATE SCHOLAR
                                                                                             07 ASSOCIATE SCIENTIST
                                                                                             15 ASSOCIATE LIBRARIAN

03 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR                                              08 ASSISTANT CURATOR
                                                                                             08 ASSISTANT ENGINEER
                                                                                             08 ASSISTANT SCHOLAR
                                                                                             09 ASSISTANT SCIENTIST
                                                                                             16 ASSSISTANT LIBRARIAN
 

04 INSTRUCTOR                                                                 17 INSTRUCTOR LIBRARIAN

05 LECTURER
 

Each applicant for a Teaching Incentive Program award must submit a Teaching Portfolio. The purpose of the Teaching Portfolio is to provide an organized chronicle of one's development as a university teacher over time. The portfolio should illustrate the best of one's teaching skills and demonstrate effectiveness in student learning.

At a minimum, the Teaching Portfolio submitted for consideration of a TIP award should contain the following five elements.

            A description of the instructional context

            A teaching statement

            A description of recent efforts to improve teaching

            Evidence of support claims of excellence in teaching and student learning

            A brief commentary that explains each piece of evidence and links that evidence back to the applicant's teaching
            statement

The Teaching Portfolio should be presented in a ring binder with a Table of Contents and section dividers. IMPORTANT: The size of the portfolio cannot exceed the guidelines of each unit.

SECTION A: Description of instructional context

    1. List all courses taught over the past three years. Note the types and level of the course, when it was taught and the number of students in each class. Describe the role of any graduate assistant or grader used in the class.

    2. Describe the content, goals, and instructional format (e.g., seminar, televised lecture, etc.) of each course and the role it plays in the curriculum of the department or college.

    3. Include sample syllabi consistent w/guidelines of the academic unit.

    4. For faculty primarily teaching graduate classes, briefly describe all other instructional responsibilities not represented in the course load (e.g. theses, dissertations).

SECTION B:The Teaching Statement (Please limit your response to five double-spaced pages.)

The teaching statement from each candidate should answer the following four questions:

        1. What do you want students to learn and why is this learning important?

        2. How do you believe students best learn the course material?

        3. What do you do to help students learn? (Descriptions of in-class and out-of-class teaching strategies are helpful.

        4. Why did you select these teaching strategies? How are these linked to your beliefs about student learning?

SECTION C: Examples of Evidence of Recent Efforts to Improve Instruction

In addition to information provided by your chairperson in Section E, the following examples are suggested: (If necessary, please provide a commentary to explain each piece of evidence and link that evidence to your teaching statement.)

        1. Description of recent innovations in teaching, i.e. improved course syllabi; innovative instructional practices and results,
            etc.

        2. List professional development activities and describe how these changed your teaching; e.g. taking a workshop/course on
            improved teaching.

        3. Evidence of on-going commitment to teaching and to student learning, i.e. analysis of course evaluations and resultant
            improvements; writing course materials when none existed; conducting and publishing studies of student learning in your
            classes; receiving a grant to improve teaching, research activities that support your teaching, etc.

        4. Any other appropriate examples

SECTION D: Examples of Evidence to Support Claims of Excellence in Teaching and Student Learning

In addition to information provided by your chairperson in Section E, the following examples are suggested: (If necessary, please provide a commentary to explain each piece of evidence and link that evidence to your teaching statement.)

         1. Letters from students, graduates, colleagues or external consumers with specific examples of good teaching. NOTE:
             these should be identified as "solicited" or "unsolicited." Limit solicited letters to a total of five; unsolicited to five.

          2. Peer observation and evaluation reports that provide descriptive information. (Limit of three.)

          3. Sample student papers that demonstrate instructor feedback to students. (Limit of three).

          4. Sample instructional plans. (Limit of three).

          5. Sample student products/projects that are linked to you as an instructor. (Limit of three).

          6. Examples of instructor-developed materials that are directly linked to student learning. (Limit of three).

          7. Performance of students on external exams e.g., RN passing rate, CPA exam, etc. from the past three years.

          8. If available, alumni surveys conducted by the department or other University offices.

          9. Any other appropriate examples.

SECTION E: Portfolio: Items to be Provided by the Department Chairperson

          1. The grade distribution data for each class taught by applicant during the three (3) year period, will be provided by the
              Office of Planning and Institutional Research.

          2. The chairperson must include a statement which describes how the students' teaching evaluations are administered and
              interpreted, along with comparative data for all regular faculty in the department.

          3. Quantitative student evaluation data from all courses taught during the past three years, including the State University
              System Student Assessment of Instruction.

          4. All student comments from course evaluations must be included.

          5. The annual evaluations for the faculty member for the past three years.

          6. A letter from the department chairperson describing the chair's personal assessment of the quality of the candidate's
              teaching. If the candidate is a chairperson, the dean will provide the letter.