Argument
3.C.1
IU Southeast strives to ensure that the overall composition of its faculty and staff reflects human diversity as appropriate within its mission and for the constituencies it serves. Diversity policies reflect IU’s definition of diversity, which emphasizes that “Indiana University practices diversity as a commitment to inclusion where everyone is welcomed, valued, and provided opportunities to grow so they can do their best work” (24-0238).
For staff members, IU has five core competencies which define what we should expect from ourselves and from one another. They allow staff to approach work with a shared understanding of how they can best work together to support the university. The IU staff competencies are a framework for “how we do our jobs” at IU and provide a language of accountability for work teams. Units should consider these competencies when viewing an employee’s performance and contribution. They are also used in framing the questions asked of applicants during the hiring process. One of these five competencies is Values Differences, defined as recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization (24-0239). For faculty hires, the Office of Academic Affairs requires a diversity statement from applicants.
3.C.2
IU Southeast has sufficient numbers and continuity of full-time faculty to provide high-quality instruction and fulfill its various non-classroom roles effectively. As of the 2022 IPEDS report (24-0240; 24-0241), we employed 354 faculty members, 172 of which are full-time faculty (49%). Based on these numbers, the campus currently has a student to faculty ratio of 12:1. A list to help illustrate faculty are distributed by School area and rank with highest credentials is provided in the attached files (24-0242; 24-0243). The faculty list referred to above also provides information which indicates whether the faculty have met qualification through credential or tested experience. For adjuncts, 88% have a master’s degree or higher. Amongst full-time faculty, 99% have a master’s degree or higher, with 72% holding a doctorate. Program faculty monitor academic credentials through the search and screen process. Academic Affairs verifies the credentials before hiring. The foundation for faculty credentials rests with the HLC and other specialized accreditation agencies. Program faculty also determine the experience required for qualified faculty through tested experience using criteria specified by the Office of Academic Affairs.
As outlined in the IU Southeast Faculty Manual (24-0088, pp. 26-33), tenured and tenure-track faculty have three general expectations for promotion and tenure purposes: teaching, scholarship, and service. Lecturers and clinical faculty follow the same guidelines as tenure-track faculty, except that they are evaluated on teaching and appropriate service and are not evaluated on scholarship. To meet the criteria for promotion, a candidate's performance shall be excellent in one area and at least satisfactory in the other area(s) evaluated. The IU Southeast Constitution and By-Laws of the Faculty Senate outline that it is the responsibility of the faculty to exercise oversight over curricula, including its establishment, review, and revision (24-0093). We have a well-established committee structure that follows processes for evaluating curricula proposals. (See Criterion 3.A.1.) The review channels ensure that communication and input is consistent and comprehensive.
Our culture of assessment requires faculty to articulate expectations for student performance at the course, GenEd, and program levels. Standards are established through a multi-layered, faculty-driven process that involves programs, Schools, the APC, and the Faculty Senate. Through a defined committee process, the Faculty Senate maintains oversight of curricular review, program development, general education, campus admissions, and graduate programs. The faculty own the curricula, and both Faculty Senate and School committees maintain them, with the intention of continuously improving the quality and timeliness of the educational offerings to our students.
3.C.3
Deans, through their program coordinators, verify full and part-time faculty qualifications at the time of hiring and periodically thereafter, and records are maintained in the Office of Academic Affairs. We have developed an ongoing process to ensure all instructors remain appropriately qualified to teach their assigned courses. For example, deans or their coordinators must complete the Academic Affairs Faculty Check Sheet (24-0244), attach appropriate documentation, and submit the paperwork for review to the Office of Academic Affairs. These steps are completed prior to the new faculty member’s first semester. Faculty members are not added to payroll without such documentation.
Advanced College Project (ACP) is a dual-credit program administered by IU Bloomington that demonstrates the university’s commitment to local high schools (24-0247). It is accredited through the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (24-0543, p. 2). ACP assures that the quality of instruction and program content taught in high schools are consistent with IU expectations, which themselves align with HLC and ICHE standards (for instructor and student requirements, see: 24-0245; 24-0246). This office also ensures that ACP courses taught in local high schools use the appropriate SLOs. The ACP instructor applicant recommended criteria include two years teaching experience in the discipline and experience teaching an upper-level advanced course in the discipline (AP or honors equivalent, or dual-credit with other provider). If any applicants need to complete a graduate program (master’s degree or graduate certificate), IU faculty look for academic, professional, and personal background characteristics that demonstrate ability and inclination to successfully deliver the course through participation in an approved IU graduate program and ACP training. Approved instructors receive two to five days of summer training with their IU faculty liaison on the IU Bloomington campus. New ACP instructors must complete ACP instructor training for course delivery in the IU model, and receive access, training, and support for engaging with IU's academic and learning resources. All ACP instructors are also required to attend annual professional development days hosted by the faculty liaisons.
3.C.4
The IU Southeast Faculty Manual (24-0088, pp. 21-24), in addition to IU policy ACA-21 (24-0248), outlines established institutional policies and procedures for regular review. At the beginning of each calendar year, full-time faculty complete and submit annual reports using Digital Measures Activity Insight. These reports cover all teaching, scholarship, service, and professional development activities throughout the previous year. These reports become part of faculty members’ personnel files and are used to help justify reappointment, promotion, and tenure. In the Spring of each year, the deans of each School review the annual reports of their faculty members and conduct interviews in which the previous year’s activities are discussed and evaluated. Written copies of these annual reviews are housed within the schools’ files.
Adjunct faculty instructors are evaluated regularly in accordance with established institutional policies and procedures (24-0544). While full-time faculty are reviewed annually through the annual reporting process and undergo reviews for promotion, part-time faculty do not follow the same annual reporting process and do not receive promotion reviews. While this policy provides campus-level expectations for part-time faculty reviews, units or departments may establish additional review expectations. This policy requires:
- Face-to-Face Instruction: Program coordinators review the course materials and conduct classroom observation during the first semester of teaching. This ensures that adjunct faculty members receive immediate performance and feedback opportunities.
- Online Instruction: Program coordinators review the online course during the first semester of teaching.
- Student evaluations of teaching are reviewed annually by program coordinators and deans.
- Summaries of peer evaluations and material reviews conducted by program coordinators must be submitted to the School.
All instructors are highly encouraged to administer course evaluations at the end of each semester (24-0088, p. 62), and tenure-track faculty members are expected to include evaluations of teaching within their dossiers when applying for tenure and promotion (24-0088, pp. 35-36). We have adopted a standardized system for student evaluation of teaching using eXplorance Blue. This system allows the instructor to select appropriate questions from a lengthy master list. Every part-time faculty member must have a student evaluation for each section taught, and every full-time faculty member is encouraged to do so.
IU Southeast devotes resources to ensure that instructors remain current in their fields, that they are pedagogically skilled, and that they are supported through opportunities for professional development. The primary resource for faculty support is ILTE, which provides consultations, training, and resources for all modes of instruction offered. All newly hired faculty attend a multi-day orientation run by ILTE, where they learn from experienced colleagues about syllabus construction, using the IU course management system (Canvas), and other topics essential to teaching success on the campus (e.g., FERPA and ADA). Between Fall 2019 and Fall 2022, 40 new faculty have gone through new faculty orientation. ILTE provides online faculty professional development modules and other helpful resources that contain information, handouts, primers, and advice on many topics, including the deployment of the flipped classroom.
ILTE offers regular workshops, institutes, consultations, resources, and other opportunities to help faculty members deploy the most effective and appropriate pedagogies for the contexts in which they are teaching (for summaries, please see ILTE annual reports: 24-0249; 24-0250; 24-0251; 24-0252). Additionally, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference (24-0253) is held annually in September. The conference offers faculty the opportunity to learn about the latest findings in the scholarship of teaching and learning, while also giving them a forum to showcase their innovative work in this area. For a sample of content, please see compiled conference proceedings (24-0254).
We are committed to supporting the professional development of our adjunct faculty members. In addition to being invited to participate in each of the opportunities outlined above, the Adjunct Faculty Scholars Conference, launched in 2016, gives these colleagues an opportunity for professional development that encompasses their specific experiences and needs on our campus (24-0255). This conference has grown steadily since its inception and now draws part-time instructors from other institutions in the region, as attendees, presenters, and as co-organizers whose input influences the themes and organization of the event.
There are also financial opportunities that instructors can apply for and use to enhance their teaching efficacy. For example, the Improvement of Teaching Grant consists of an award of up to $1,000 that can be used for professional development (24-0065). Vetted and administered by the Improvement of Learning committee, a Faculty Senate committee, the Improvement of Learning Grant requires applicants to prepare a project proposal that outlines, among other criteria, the potential to improve learning efficacy, the number of students involved or affected, and presence of a mechanism for teacher evaluation. An additional financial opportunity for instructors is the Summer Faculty Fellowship in Teaching, overseen by the Improvement of Learning committee. Funds, capped at $8,000, are awarded for “significant projects that bring innovation or new methodologies to the classroom, assess the effectiveness of these innovations or methodologies, and have the potential to enhance student learning, persistence, or success”.
IU Southeast faculty can also take advantage of Multi-Section Course Grants. Since 2018, funding has been set aside by Academic Affairs for proposals that target increasing student learning and engagement in multi-section courses (24-0256). Faculty submit proposals that describe systematic changes they want to make for a specific multi-section course (for example, please see the compiled list of 2021-2023 grant recipients: 24-0257). All submitted projects must have a clear assessment plan. Biology faculty used a grant to enhance Bio-L100 instruction by updating the laboratory investigations and providing training for all instructors. In 2019, instructors of A215 developed an e-laboratory manual to enhance instruction in anatomy labs (24-0258). In 2021, psychology developed a standard shell for all instructors who teach the research methods and statistics course (P342). In 2021, Spanish language instructors developed a set of teaching materials that emphasized diverse and inclusive images to use for Spanish language instruction. In 2022, three grants were funded to allow for development in a criminal justice methods course; a psychology and careers course; and introductory writing courses. In 2023, two grants were funded to allow for development in a chemistry course, and a grant was awarded for faculty teaching computers and business courses (e.g., 24-0669).
Additionally, since 2014, Strategic Excellence Grants have been made available to faculty. These grants, funded by Academic Affairs and administered by the ILTE, focus on encouraging excellence in teaching in face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses. All full-time employees with teaching responsibilities may apply (for a list of recipients from 2020-2023, see: 24-0259). Those receiving a grant work one-on-one with trained peer reviewers to review and revise their course based on best practices in course design and delivery. All hybrid and online courses are then submitted for QM certification. All courses submitted for QM certification have received certification.
3.C.6
Since teaching is the primary mission of IU Southeast, most faculty time is devoted to students. Faculty Senate has recognized that consultation with students is an integral part of instruction and has established guidelines for office hours outlined in the Faculty Manual (24-0088, pp. 55-56). All faculty members hold regular weekly office hours, though these may also be accomplished through technological means, when necessary, to accommodate students. For faculty teaching in studio, lab, or clinic settings, extensive in-class consultation may serve in place of office hours. Faculty members also see students by special appointment as needed. To meet the needs of commuting students, faculty members are urged to hold office hours immediately before or after a class meeting in each course, if possible. Likewise, instructors of online courses are asked to arrange specific times when they will be available online. Office hours and other meeting details are posted at a faculty member’s office, studio, or other location of work; on the course syllabus; and on Canvas and other course websites.
Every position has a description that includes a job summary, primary duties and responsibilities, required qualifications, and preferred qualifications. Applications are completed online through the PeopleAdmin system, and the search process is managed by committees or hiring managers with consultation from the Human Resources Department. (Procedures are outlined in the Academic-Professional Recruitment and Search Guide: 24-0120).
All staff members participate in a performance management program, newly revised in 2023 as Performance at IU (24-0260). It is a uniform program of conversations about performance and development. It sets staff up for success by ensuring a clear understanding of expectations for all staff roles through recurring two-way conversations between staff and leaders, annual growth and development plans for every staff member, and consistent annual performance conversations with every staff member.
Both hiring and performance center on IU staff competencies: observable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace success. The IU staff competencies (24-0261; 24-0262) give employees a common language to describe how they work together, what to expect from each other, and how to maximize their potential at IU. The core competencies were introduced to staff in February 2019. The career-level competencies, introduced in February 2021, further define the skills and behaviors that contribute to success at every level of the IU organization (24-0263). The first university-wide application of the IU staff competencies—core competency-based behavioral interviewing for staff positions—began in Spring 2019 and was followed by other employee-focused efforts centered on learning and development, performance conversations, and career planning.
Staff professional development is advanced in numerous ways. For example, the IU tuition benefit offers eligible employees (as well as their spouses and dependent children) the opportunity to enroll in IU courses at a reduced fee (24-0264). Staff members may take advantage of this to further their education in their fields of expertise, to acquire new skills in another discipline with relevance to their position, or for advancement within the organization. Training opportunities are also provided through IU Human Resources, including LinkedIn Learning courses and virtual workshops (24-0265; 24-0266; 24-0267). Additionally, University Information Technology Services (UITS) offers many training opportunities that are open to our staff (24-0268).
