FACULTY PERFORMANCE PLAN OVERVIEW
Red Rocks Community College is committed to delivering outstanding educational opportunities to those whom it serves. All employees are evaluated on their contribution to the college’s mission of developing and supporting life-long learners. To ensure the highest quality of educational services, the faculty are committed to ongoing performance assessment and improvement. The Faculty Performance Plan is designed to provide overall performance feedback through established performance objectives, the use of year-end self-report, supervisory evaluation, official job description, classroom visitation, and Student Opinion of Instruction. This comprehensive approach to evaluation is used to reward excellence and directly link job performance to pay.

ESTABLISHING PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
Using the Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation Form (Appendix A), faculty members write performance objectives for the two evaluation categories of Teaching and Service. Performance objectives should be written in specific terms that produce measurable results, and which identify the value added to the institution.  Performance objectives may be amended during the year with the approval of the supervisor and faculty member. Performance objectives should be formulated based on the following:

1. State Board priorities

1. The College’s Strategic Plan, instructional and departmental goals
2. The past year's evaluation, growth plan and performance objectives
3. The Statement of Faculty Excellence (Appendix B)

Performance objectives, as established by both parties, need to include teaching and service for the upcoming evaluation period. These performance areas are defined as:

Teaching (Weight = 70%)
The evaluation of teaching will include but will not be limited to consideration of student evaluations and direct observation by supervisors. Evaluators should consider all the following components of teaching: class structure and organization; course materials, demonstrated currency in the field and in teaching methodology; presentation skill; professional and courteous interaction with students; availability to students during office hours; student engagement; and promotion of student achievement.

In addition, evaluators should consider other factors that may be relevant based on the faculty member's job description, responsibilities and individual and college/department goals. These may include, but are not limited to: assessment of student learning; documented teaching and curriculum improvement based on assessment results; incorporation of course, program, and college student learning outcomes; incorporation of student retention strategies; and integration of technology into course work as appropriate to the discipline.

Service (Weight = 30%)
Service includes fulfilling the mission and goals of the college outside of the classroom. Components of service to be considered in the evaluation should be based on the faculty member's job description, role, goals, and documented responsibilities. These may include but are not limited to departmental service, including curriculum coordination and development, advising and outreach, administrative assignments, and committee work; system, college-wide and campus committee work; sponsoring and participating in student activities; and attendance at college activities and events. Additional activities may include serving as the college representative on a local board or commission, making community or professional presentations, serving as a liaison to local schools, or serving as an elected or appointed member of local boards.

Service also includes professional and courteous interaction with colleagues, staff and community as typically demonstrated by active engagement, collaboration, and constructive cooperation in department and college activities. This shall not diminish lively, critical debate which is both necessary and appropriate in an academic institution.

Modification of Factor Weights
Factor weights may be modified for circumstances such as: provisional faculty; reduced teaching loads; department chairs /faculty on special assignment; or special projects, such as accreditation or where performance concerns have been identified. The modified weights will be specified and justified in the Faculty Performance Plan.

The evaluation period normally begins with the fall semester and continues through the spring semester. Faculty members will send their completed Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation Form outlining their proposed performance objectives to their supervisor at least one week prior to the Initial Conference.

DEFINITIONS OF PERFORMANCE RATINGS 
Exemplary
To receive a rating of "Exemplary," a faculty member must demonstrate performance beyond "Commendable" in both teaching and service. Evidence of exemplary performance must be documented within the performance evaluation.

Examples of the kinds of combinations of qualities or activities an "Exemplary" teacher might demonstrate include, but are not limited to: exceptional skills in both instructional delivery and course design and planning; engaging students at a high level; demonstrating a strong commitment to using assessment data to guide revision of his or her teaching methods to improve student outcomes; leading the integration of technology into the classroom; and/or developing quality courses or curriculum either in the classroom or online. 

For service, exemplary faculty typically perform their department and discipline responsibilities at a high level or take active leadership on initiatives that are consistent with college or department goals. Examples of the type of efforts that might characterize exemplary service include, but are not limited to: effective leadership in college or system committees; developing and maintaining significant relationships in the community (with institutions such as K-12 districts, other colleges, or key business partners); making a contribution to their field of study, such as in published work, presentations, or service in a professional organization; and/or leadership in broader college initiatives that improve teaching and learning.

Exemplary service should be consistent with the faculty member’s performance plan.

Commendable
To receive a rating of "Commendable" a faculty member demonstrates competence in teaching and service, abides by all college guidelines and CCCS policies and procedures and meets department, college, and board goals related to his or her area of responsibility, including performance objectives defined in his or her performance plan.

Commendable faculty members meet basic instructional requirements, including following curriculum guidelines, college and department syllabus policies, assessment requirements and deadlines for schedules and grades.  They demonstrate currency in the field and in teaching methodology. They demonstrate skill in both instructional delivery and course design and planning, as well as a commitment to continuous improvement of student learning outcomes, including meeting college guidelines for assessment of student learning.

Commendable faculty members engage actively in service such as serving on department and college committees, engaging in department and college functions and activities, advising students as appropriate and demonstrating professional and courteous behavior. They also meet the critical duties of their assigned roles.  For example, if charged with managing a program, they meet all basic program requirements, including holding productive advisory committee meetings and appropriately advising students. Or, if charged with hiring and mentoring part-time instructors, they provide appropriate screening, orientation, and supervision, including classroom observations.

Needs Improvement
A faculty member "Needs Improvement" when he or she does not meet the criteria of a "Commendable" performance rating in either teaching or service - he or she fails to competently meet the teaching or program management standards outlined above or in college guidelines, fails to provide significant service to the college or department, or violates the expectation of professional and collegial behavior.  Any disregard for or violation of established CCCS policy or procedures or college guidelines may also result in this rating.

INITIAL CONFERENCE
Faculty members meet with their supervisors to agree upon performance objectives. The conferences must occur between August 15 and October 1 of each academic year. New faculty members will have this conference as soon as possible after being hired.

CLASSROOM VISITATION
Supervisors conduct annual classroom visitations for all faculty prior to the Summary Conference. For provisional faculty, supervisors conduct one classroom visitation each Fall and Spring semester for the first two years of employment. It is the expectation that supervisors will also conduct annual classroom visitations for all limited faculty.

Classroom visitations will be conducted using the Classroom Visitation Form (Appendix C). Supervisors and faculty members should mutually agree upon dates and times of classroom visitations. More frequent visits may be initiated at the supervisors’ or faculty members’ discretion, but will be preceded by a note of explanation.  

The faculty member will receive a copy of the completed Classroom Visitation Form within one week of the visit. The Classroom Visitation Form will be signed by the faculty member and returned to the supervisor within one week of receipt.   

MID-YEAR STATUS REPORT
All faculty members must submit a mid-year status report to their supervisor using the Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation Form by January 31. Supervisors will acknowledge receipt of the mid-year status report and state any concerns using the space provided on the form. Faculty members who received a “Needs Improvement” rating for the prior evaluation and all provisional faculty must meet with their supervisor by January 31 to discuss the mid-year status report and be evaluated on their progress. Consistent with State Board Policy 3-20, this evaluation will be considered the second evaluation period for those faculty who received a “Needs Improvement” on their prior evaluation. In all cases, the completed Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation Form will be completed by the supervisor and emailed back to the faculty member within one week of submission of the form or the meeting.

YEAR-END SELF-REPORT
Faculty members must submit their Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation form, reporting on the status of their performance objectives for the evaluation period. A written description of how each objective has been met must be included. Significant College activities in addition to performance objective accomplishments should also be included. This document must be submitted to supervisors at least one week prior to the Summary Conference. The document serves as a basis for discussion between the faculty member and the supervisor during the Summary Conference.  

SUMMARY CONFERENCE AND SUPERVISOR’S EVALUATION
The summary conference must occur between April 15 and June 15. The supervisor’s overall performance summary and overall performance evaluation rating will be completed and available for discussion and review at the summary conference. Supervisors provide a written evaluation and an overall performance rating determined by performance in all appropriate areas of responsibility, using the definitions of performance ratings provided above.  

During the summary conference, the faculty member and supervisor will discuss the faculty member’s overall performance with regard to performance objectives, official job description, year-end self-report, supervisors’ personal observations, classroom visitation, Student Opinion of Instruction (Appendix D), as well as the supervisor’s evaluation.  In addition, faculty members should be prepared to discuss their job satisfaction (what the supervisor and college could do to increase/improve performance, morale and job satisfaction), their strengths, professional growth, service activities and any potential areas of improvement.  

Faculty members receiving an overall evaluation rating of “Needs Improvement” will be provided with a detailed explanation. These faculty members, in concert with their supervisors, will develop self-improvement plans, including timelines, by the mid-year status report.

Supervisors submit the completed Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation Form (signed by the faculty member and the supervisor) to the Vice President of Instruction no later than one week after the Summary Conference. A final copy of the completed and signed Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation Form (signed by the faculty member, their supervisor, and the Vice President of Instruction) will be sent to the faculty member no later than August 1.   

APPEAL
Faculty members who believe they have not been evaluated fairly may request a review of the written evaluation and overall performance rating. 

To trigger a review, a faculty member must write a rebuttal of the summary evaluation in support of their concerns (no more than 1500 words) and submit the rebuttal to the Vice President of Instruction. The deadline for submission of the rebuttal to the VPI is 7 calendar days after the summary conference.  This rebuttal will become a permanent part of the evaluation. Within 7 calendar days of the submission of the rebuttal, the faculty member and the VPI must meet to discuss the evaluation rating and rebuttal, and the VPI will respond in writing directly following this meeting.

If resolution is not reached at this level, a faculty member may request a review of the evaluation and rebuttal by the College President. The deadline for requesting this review is no later than 7 calendar days after receipt of the VPI response. Within 7 calendar days of this request, the faculty member will meet with the President to discuss their evaluation rating, and the President will respond in writing. The faculty member may have an individual of their choosing also attend the meeting, however, that individual may not speak for the faculty member. The President reserves the right to consult with any other parties for the purposes of gathering information. Per Board policy, the final determination of an evaluation appeal rests with the College President.  

If mutually agreed upon by all parties, the timeline and deadlines outlined above can be altered.

TIMELINE
It is the professional responsibility of all parties involved in the performance evaluation process to follow all timelines. If faculty members do not meet deadlines for the Initial Conference or the Mid-Year Status Report, supervisors may use this information in formulating Summary Evaluations. If a supervisor fails to meet established deadlines, faculty members should notify the Vice President of Instruction immediately. Any faculty members’ appeals received after established deadlines will be denied.

Appendix A
Faculty Performance Planning and Evaluation Form

Appendix B
RRCC Statement of Faculty Excellence

Appendix C
Classroom Visitation Form

Appendix D
Student Opinion of Instruction