May 11, 2020
This message is distributed to All-Instructors and SBADM-L. (Click here to view description of distribution groups.)
To: Faculty and Instructors
From: David Marshall, Executive Vice Chancellor
Alison Butler, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel
Henning Bohn, Chair, Academic Senate
Dana Mastro, Chair, Committee on Academic Personnel
Re: ESCI Scores and Teaching Evaluations
In March, we reassured instructors that reviewing agencies understood that not all students would be able to fill out teaching evaluations due to the emergency conditions at the end of the Winter Quarter. Instructional Development added a banner to ESCI reports for the Winter that stated: “Due to disruptions from COVID-19, no ESCI data could be collected for this course this quarter.”
Since all instruction was conducted in emergency conditions this quarter, we again wish to reassure instructors that reviewing agencies (including the deans and CAP) will consider all ESCI scores and teaching evaluations from Spring 2020 in the context of the extraordinary circumstances that faculty and students faced during the conversion to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instructional Development has made arrangements with departments to utilize either the ESCI Online platform that has worked well for many departments, or to convert its paper surveys to an online questionnaire (either the same one normally used or a modified short questionnaire). However, in the assessment of the 2020 Spring Quarter teaching in the current or subsequent merit reviews, reviewing agencies will not penalize faculty for any worsening in ESCI scores or any negative evaluations related to remote instruction.
Reviewing agencies encourage holistic teaching portfolios, consistent with APM 210, as well as self-assessments in which instructors describe the steps they have taken to transition courses to remote instruction, and discuss what they learned or experienced while teaching remotely. We are aware that faculty have made extraordinary efforts to teach their courses and that many students are very appreciative of the fact that the dedication of their instructors allowed them to continue their education. Faculty deserve to be recognized for their efforts, but not penalized for any problems that were beyond their control.
Thank you again for your resourcefulness and commitment to our students.