The University Senate of Michigan
Technological University
PROPOSAL 11-12 [Revised]
(Voting Units: Full Senate)
“EVALUATION PROCEDURE FOR THE UNIVERSITY SENATE”
Revised Proposal 11-12
incorporates the following changes
1. Survey will be conducted every other year.
2. The processing of the results have been completely
rewritten to significantly reduce the work of writing a report.
The
essence of the change is that the comments are not confidential as no
individual is being evaluated. If we don't have the (wo)man power (sufficient
volunteers) to create a synopsis then we just post the collated comments as an
appendix while the main body of report is just a short description of the
statistics. Any individual who wants to dig deeper into numbers can look at the
appendix.
3. For scaled questions with comments, the committee
has been given the authority to seek comments if the respondent chooses a
number above (or below) a certain value.
4. Questions on the demographics of the respondent
have been added.
Question to consider: We are not evaluating any individual but rather
Senate processes, priorities, and communication. Do we want to change the title
of the proposal to read: “Procedure for conducting survey of its constituents
by the Senate”?
Suggestion: If the survey instrument is approved along with
the proposal then Senate will not need to a have another vote later to approve
the survey instrument.
1.0 Introduction
Senate derives its moral
authority from its representation of its constituency. It will become a
stronger and a more effective body by advocating issues its constituency deems
important and by improving itself with regular feedback from its constituency.
In addition, the Senate
evaluates university upper administration each year and has established
policies and procedures for periodic evaluation of Chairs and Deans, and
evaluation of faculty by students in each course. Evaluation and survey have
become easy since going electronic and many service units are conducting
surveys to improve themselves. For the sake of consistency and to get regular
feedback the Senate needs to conduct survey and make the results public.
This procedure allows the
Senate constituency to provide input on Senate processes, priorities, and
communications. Improvements in these categories will make the Senate more
relevant in the functioning of the university.
2.0 Survey Time Line
Every other year the Senate
will conduct a survey electronically using all reasonable efforts to maintain
the anonymity of the survey responder. The survey will be coordinated and
supervised by the Senate Administrative Policy Committee. The survey instrument
will be approved by the Senate by the end of Spring semester. The survey will
be conducted over a period of two weeks starting on Monday of the third week of
the fall semester.
3.0 Format
The Senate president will
coordinate writing of a brief report, less than two pages long, on the
accomplishment of the Senate in the year prior to the year of the survey. The
report will be distributed to the Senate constituents prior to the survey and
posted on the Senate web page. The report will be also linked to the electronic
survey instrument.
The questionnaire section will
contain questions asking for scaled responses and comments.
Scaled responses and comments
will be sought for:
• effectiveness of Senate in representing
constituents interests.
• prioritizing the responsibility of the Senate.
• keeping constituents informed.
Comments will also be sought
for strengthening and improving the Senate and the questionnaire. A sample questionnaire
is included in the appendix.
4.0 Survey Result
1. Responses from faculty and from professional staff
will be compiled separately.
2. The comments will be collated for each question
either electronically or with help of the Senate Assistant.
3. The comments will be edited to ensure there are no
personal attack on any individual and are fit for public distribution.
Eventually these collated comments will become appendix of the electronic
report.
4. Senators will be requested to volunteer for purpose
of writing synopsis of the comments. If not enough Senators volunteer then the
committee may elect to not write synopsis for certain questions and direct the
reader to the collated comments in the appendix of the report.
5. Statistical summary of the scaled questions, the
synopsis of comments, the appendix of the collated comments, along with
introduction and conclusion will constitute the final report.
6. The committee will make an oral presentation to the
Senate by the end of fall semester. The written report will be posted on the
Senate website and its link sent to all Senate constituents, the Provost, and
the members of the Board of Control.
Appendix: Sample
questionnaire
The Senate establishes and
participates in formulation of policies and procedures that affect faculty and
professional staff. The implementation of these policies and procedures are
responsibilities of other bodies like administration, academic units, and
university committees. The Senate also has the responsibility to facilitate
discussion and obtain information on any issue that is important to its
constituent. The Senate responsibility and jurisdiction are defined in detail
in the Senate Constitution posted on the web address
http://www.admin.mtu.edu/usenate/
Brief listing of Senate responsibility and
jurisdiction
1. Establishes academic policies and procedures
governing teaching and research that includes but not limited to: establishment, dissolution, and changes in degree
programs; requirements for certificates and academic degrees; teaching evaluation;
academic calendar; awarding of honorary degrees; regulations governing
attendance, examinations, grading, scholastic standing, probation, and honors.
2. Establishes shared governance policies and
procedures that includes but not limited to: Academic freedom, rights and responsibilities; appointment, promotion,
tenure, dismissal, and leaves of the academic faculty; academic ranks;
selection and evaluation of university administrators; guidelines for academic
unit charters; academic organization, establishment or elimination of schools,
colleges, or departments; and the reorganization of the academic structure.
3. Advise, reviews, and participates on use of
university resources that includes but not limited to: Fringe benefits; institutional priorities;
allocation and utilization of the university’s human, fiscal, and physical
resources that affect scholarly, instructional, and research activities;
admission standards and procedures; student financial aid.
Survey Instrument
Questions on Demographics of
Respondent
1. Are you Faculty or Staff?
2. Have you ever served on the Senate?
3. Have you ever attended or viewed a Senate meeting?
Questions for scaled response
on a scale of 5 with space for commenting.
[The committee may choose to get
comments only if a score is above or below a certain number.]
4. Senate provided appropriate input to your group in
the development of proposals submitted to it.
5. Senate has acted in a timely manner on proposals
submitted by your group.
6. Senate has been effective in development of shared
governance policies and procedures.
7. Senate has been effective in reflecting your
concerns on use of university resources.
8. Senate has been effective in communicating issues
that impact you.
9. Your senator keeps you informed about issues being
considered by the Senate.
10. Taking everything into account the Senate is an
effective body in representing you.
Questions asking for comments
11. What kind of proposals should the Senate spend more
time on?
12. What can the Senate do to get the information to
you more effectively?
13. How can the Senate better meet your needs?
14. How can this questionnaire be improved?
Introduced
to Senate: 01 February 2012
Revised and Reintroduced to Senate: 29 February 2012
Friendly amendment added in red: 21 March 2012