The University of Oregon continues to move toward a more holistic, qualitative approach to the evaluation of teaching. After launching new surveys that capture student experience and instructor reflections campus-wide in fall 2019, the university will implement baseline standards in fall 2020.

Academic units will have until September 2021 to customize these standards to fit their specific contexts, according to the Office of the Provost.

Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Janet Woodruff-Borden outlined the timeline for changes to the teaching evaluation system in a memo to all faculty members last week and noted that the timeline allows for “continued collaboration among stakeholders.” 

The UO is a national leader in the way teaching is evaluated. Efforts to improve teaching evaluations began three years ago with the creation of a task force to look into developing better practices. The new system is intended to be fair and transparent, ensure evaluation is aligned with standards for teaching quality and include input from students, peers and instructors themselves.

To see the full message from Woodruff-Borden, visit the provost’s website.