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Show MONDAY, NOVEMBER lO, 1000 UNIVERSITY JOURNAL CAMPUS NEWS !PAGE 4 Evaluations to BY KIRSTEN TATE SENIOR STAFF VVRITER The method for conducting faculty -evaluations is the same as in years past, but is in the process of being revised. The new system will be a comprehensive teacher evaluation process to help faculty members know how they are doing. The primary goal.is to let faculty know their areas of weakness and how to improve. It will also let them know where their strengths lie. Tom Cunningham, associate professor of instructional media. said student evaluations are a valuable resource, but are only part of the picture. Currently the student evaluation forms are - the only official way to gather data on faculty performance. The approach being followed for the new system could take anywhere from 18 months to two year.s to complete. This new process • will gather information from faculty about their teaching scholarship and service. Cunningham said scholarship will include their teaching, advising and other activities they participate in such as papers they have written, any performances or exhibitions and any other service to their professions. It is comprehensive, and the information comes from the faculty. "They will help decide what areas need to be evaluated, such as areas we don't . evaluate and need to. or areas that we do evaluate that are unnecessary," Cunningham said,. The motivation to begin a new evaluation be revised Spring sked out ·soon system did not come from administration, but as a faculty initiative. "This is not coming from the top down, but from the bottom up," Cunningham said. The results of the evaluations have an impact on faculty jobs through use in tenure decisions and promotion consideration. Students are encouraged to take them seriously. The statement read at the beginning of the evaluations is to help students understand the process. Comments are kept confidential and are typed before faculty members see them. They never get handwritten comments, and they don't see results of evaluations before the end of the semester and after grades are posted. Tenured faculty members don't get evaluated as often as teachers on the tenure track, but posttenure review will be part of the new process. The purpose of evaluations is to help faculty improve. "The intent is not to use evaluations as an ax or punishment, but show them areas in which they can improve," Cunningham said. But he also said that if a faculty member is made aware of problems in an evaluation, but refuses to make improvements and address the problem. it could lead to a dismissal. This is only the case if a teacher refuses to make changes, however. Cunningham said the problem with the scantron machine used to read the evaluation forms has been fixed and won't cause problems this year. Courses being offered for the spring semester through SUU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies are listed in a catalog of classes that will be available shortly after Thanksgiving. · we will be teaching a variety of personal enrichment and special purpose classes, many of which have proven traditionally popular in the community," David Nyman, interim dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, said: "Offerings for the spring semester will include some first-time-offered classes in investment success, astrology and relationships, prenatal yoga, and web page design." Other classes will be offered in sign language, Hebrew, Latin, conversational Spanish, music (guitar, Suzuki strings, bagpipe), dance (ballet. tap, ballroom. square, and Western swing), horsemanship, speech and hearing, emergency medical technician training, yoga, aviation ground school, self defense, and mountain biking. Instruction for most of the classes will begin the week of Jan. 8. The free catalog of available classes will be available at the SUU Bookstore and the Registrar's Office, both located in the Sharwan Smith Center, and at the continuing and professional studies offices located in the Hunter Conference Center. Mailings of the catalog to Iron County households are also planned in December and January. Independent study classes and courses taught on the Internet through SUU are also listed in the catalog. Abuse tackled in 'Week' (continued frotJJ page 3) personal experience as she was a victim of date rape while in college and nothing was done about her situation. It will be held at 11 :30 a.m. in the Auditorium. HBO featured Koestner in a film entitled No Visible Bruises: The Katie Koestner Story. She is now speaking out about date rape and has come to SUU in a past Convocation. Forman hopes to induce awareness in students about the realities of drug abuse and violence. He brought up the fact that we hear reports of Meth use and date rape drugs but we don't consider alcohol. · we don't consider alcohol as a drug anymore, but it is,· he said. "Alcohol is still the number one date rape drug." The Wellness Center also wants to bring the awareness of violence into focus. Forman said one in every four women will be raped or sexually assaulted during their lifetime; that number is staggering. ·we live in a safe environment by and large, but we need to be cautious," Forman said. r·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·, 1 1 iSIJU l~I'l NESS (~EN'l Elli • S'l Ul)EN'l S GE1' (~Rl~Dl'I' 11 ou lfOllKING OIJ'l ! . 1 1 1 L--·-·-·-·-·-·-·~ ~ - - - -B\iy-01te1-c"itr-one rree----~ I lee Cream Cone : Or Get $1 Off a Milkshake : 91 N. Main Cedar City 586-9651 i: ~ . ---------~------------------------· Evan Vickers, R. Ph. Open 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday - Sunday One coupon per item. Coupon must be presented. 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