Chapter 5. Section 5.6 Evaluation of a Teaching Assistant
The supervision of teaching assistants and the maintenance of teaching proficiency standards are the responsibilities of the hiring department. To that end, departments or programs in which teaching assistants perform their duties will evaluate their teaching proficiency at the end of each academic period. The nature and scope of these evaluations will vary with instructional settings and materials being taught. Evaluations of teaching assistants will encompass the following aspects of teaching as mandated by the Board of Regents policy:
- knowledge of the subject material at a level appropriate for the course being taught
- proficiency in oral and written communication in formal and informal instructional settings
- ability to evaluate student performance appropriately
- facility with appropriate instructional materials and equipment
The departmental faculty has the responsibility to mentor and arrange instructional assistance for students who teach. Policies for evaluation need to be developed at the department level to ensure both the quality of instruction and the sustained development of the teaching assistants' professional skills. Written standards and procedures for these evaluations should be developed in a collegial way at the department level and be provided to teaching assistants at the outset of their teaching appointments. Special attention should be paid to assure that the standards, review procedures, and the evaluations themselves are fully communicated to the teaching assistants involved. Evaluations should consider the teaching assistants' knowledge of the subject matter, their ability with written and spoken English, and the social dynamics of the classroom including matters of age, gender, and cultural diversity. Student input will be included in evaluation.
Chapter 10. Section 10.7.1 Oral Communication Competence
The Board of Regents, State of Iowa Policy on Oral Communication Competence mandates that all faculty and teaching assistants who provide instruction to students during each relevant academic period will be evaluated for oral communication competence. In the context of this policy, oral communication competence is understood to be the ability to communicate appropriately in the language of instruction. The nature and scope of the evaluation of oral communication competence may vary with the discipline, instructional setting, and material being communicated. The following guidelines apply:
- Written standards and procedures for making the determination of oral communication competence will be developed at the departmental or program level in a collegial manner and will incorporate a mechanism for evaluation of instructors by students.
- Departments will complete such evaluations within the time frame designated by the Regents policy, i.e., "by the end of each academic period in which [the instructor] has sufficient direct contact with students to render such evaluation meaningful."
- Procedures developed within departments must be written and implemented cooperatively by the teaching faculty and the departmental administration.
- The evaluation of oral competence need not function separately from other evaluation procedures as long as such established procedures meet the Regents requirements for timeliness and student input, and they explicitly address the matter of oral communication.
- The departmental chairs and program directors, college deans, and the provost are responsible for the implementation of this policy and for ensuring that adequate standards of oral communication competence are maintained.
