February 7, 2002-Vol33n16: Promoting culture of teaching and learning

Promoting culture of teaching and learning
Faculty Senate recommendations on instructional effectiveness become UB policy

By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor

President William R. Greiner has approved as university policy six resolutions regarding assessments of instructional effectiveness that had been promoted by the Faculty Senate.

The policy went into effect with the start of the spring semester.

In approving the resolutions after consultation with Provost Elizabeth D. Capaldi, Greiner noted that they are "in accord with, and fully support, UB's tripartite mission of excellence in teaching, research and public service."

"Their implementation will ensure that our faculty's teaching accomplishments are fully recognized and rewarded as we continue to provide a comprehensive and interactive learning environment for our students," he said.

The resolutions were developed by the senate's Teaching and Learning Committee in an effort to provide guidelines for the assessment of instructional effectiveness.

Ronald Gentile, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology and chair of the Teaching and Learning Committee, said the panel's original charge was to look at student course evaluations but the task snowballed into an examination of the whole issue of teaching and learning.

The committee noted in its introduction to the resolutions that in order to maximize instructional effectiveness, the university must encourage, nurture and reward faculty teaching accomplishments just as it does with research accomplishments.

And just as the "culture of teaching" is expected of the faculty, the "culture of learning" must become integral to the life of students, it added.

The resolutions—the "Assessments of Instructional Effectiveness"—address various aspects of what the committee called the "interactive cultures of teaching and learning."

"Teaching and learning are two sides of the same coin," Gentile explained. "You can't do one without the other."

From the teaching side, instructors "are responsible for clear course goals and expectations, for effective instruction and for continued expansion of their teaching/testing repertoires to provide a wide variety of equitable opportunities for students to succeed," the committee said.

From the learning side, students "are responsible for their own learning, for taking advantage of the opportunities provided in class (and for seeking out remedial and advanced opportunities outside of class) and for adopting and contributing to the culture of the university regarding the advancement and fair distribution of knowledge."

While the university "always has cared about teaching," Gentile pointed out, "now it's official" with the new policy in place.

Specifically, the policy requires:

A syllabus be published within the first week that addresses course goals; expectations of attendance, performance and deadlines; grading, and instructor availability
That the deans be responsible for assuring that all promotion-and-tenure decisions include teaching portfolios and that those portfolios include for each course taught the course syllabus; student evaluations of instruction; instructor self-evaluations; evidence of the effectiveness of instruction, and information on course policy and procedures for identifying difficulties students are having and how they can access help
The provost initiate and fund a comprehensive professional development effort for faculty to continue expanding and improving their instructional repertoires and pedagogical skills. The Center for Teaching and Learning Resources was established last fall, and has offered workshops for faculty and graduate students.
The university and individual units maintain, strengthen and recommend courses designed specifically to teach learning strategies and metacognition, self-diagnosis and time-management
The provost initiate discussions with the various campus student organizations to obtain their input about issues related to assessments of instructional effectiveness

In regard to students and the culture of learning, the policy asks the university to promote a list of "Student Academic Responsibilities." These would require students to know and follow university policy regarding drop-add dates, making up incomplete grades, etc.; understand and follow each course syllabus; prepare for and participate in class; inform the instructor if a deadline cannot be met or a class must be missed, and request extra help.