This policy outlines the expectations of peer review of teaching evaluations for tenure-track, tenured, and non-tenure-line faculty of all ranks. Research faculty who teach should follow the guidelines for the commensurate teaching faculty rank. Peer review of teaching is an important and necessary part of the promotion and tenure, non-tenure-line promotion, and extended review of faculty performance processes at the Altoona College. The following guidelines provide the framework for clear and consistent peer review of teaching practices for the Altoona College. These guidelines must be consistently applied at all levels of review, within all ranks, and across all academic divisions. Division guidelines must not conflict with these College guidelines.
Definition of a Peer Reviewer
Within the AC23 Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations guidelines, policy, and FAQs, there are references to “peers,” both as teaching evaluators and those serving on P&T committees. While “peer” is never clearly defined within AC23 (guidelines, policy, and FAQs), for the purposes of peer teaching evaluations, the Altoona College defines a “peer” as another full-time faculty member of any rank regardless of contract type (i.e., tenure-line or non-tenure-line) who has teaching as a significant part of their responsibilities.
Composition of Peer Review of Teaching Committee
- The division head should work collaboratively with the faculty member under review, as well as any faculty selection committee, to choose peer reviewers.
- The final selection of peer reviewers rests with the division head, ensuring consistent application of guidelines within ranks and appointment types.
- Faculty under review shall have the opportunity to submit names of potential peer reviewers to their division head.
- Faculty under review may also reject a proposed reviewer after consultation with the division head.
- Discipline and teaching-modality expertise should be represented on the final committee. Peer reviewers from other units (e.g., college, commonwealth campus, World Campus) may be solicited to fulfill this requirement.
- Committees shall be at minimum three members and must be an odd number.
Incorporation of Student Feedback
The peer review process will include an analysis of students’ assessments regarding the candidate’s performance. The Altoona College will follow all university guidelines and identify Student Feedback Reviewers who will be responsible for synthesizing and interpreting both qualitative and quantitative feedback from SEEQ/SRTE responses across all courses taught during the review period.
Guidelines and Best Practices
- Penn State's research-based Elements of Effective Teaching should serve as a foundation for the peer review of teaching, and the content of each evaluation should include only evidence-based observations with assessment (i.e., evaluations and conclusions) tied to corresponding evidence.
- Each division will determine which sources of evidence will be used as part of the peer review of teaching process and how these sources will be reviewed.
- Each division should consider utilizing the Instructor Input Form, and should allow faculty under review to provide additional information and/or materials they believe to be relevant to their courses for the peer reviewers’ consideration (e.g., course syllabi, course assignments/assessments, course learning objectives).
- Course observation can occur in a variety of delivery modes. Division guidelines should include frameworks for reviewing courses in a variety of delivery modes (e.g., hybrid, in-person, online).
- The evaluation consists of a letter to the relevant division head summarizing the feedback and comments from the peer review. The letter is then shared with the instructor by the division head and, as appropriate, added to the tenure and/or promotion dossier, non-tenure-line promotion dossier, or extended review of faculty performance dossier. These evaluations should be discussed promptly to give the faculty member ample time to make any necessary adjustments to their teaching.
- All full-time faculty (non-tenure-line and tenure-line) must receive a peer review of their teaching at least every five years (see the Altoona College Guidelines for Extended Reviews of Faculty Performance).
Links to Division Peer Review of Teaching Guidelines
- Division of Business, Health, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- Division of Engineering, Science, and Technology