Bellarmine University places a high degree of importance on the essential work of teaching and learning of students and faculty. The unit and the university believe that the primary faculty responsibility is teaching and developing candidate proficiencies, evaluating faculty teaching on a five-tier system: meritorious, excellent, favorable, needs improvement, unsatisfactory, or not applicable (Exhibit 5.3.f.1). Faculty exemplify this essential work by modeling best practices in teaching and learning as evidenced in their use of a wide variety of instructional strategies and assessments that measure candidates' knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Examples of instructional assessments and activities that faculty employ in their courses are detailed in Exhibit 5.3.a.4. In accordance with the conceptual framework, unit faculty encourage candidates' development of reflection and critical thinking, professional dispositions, and the integration of diversity and technology in every course as delineated in each course syllabus. Members of the professional education faculty have been recognized as outstanding teachers by administrators, peers, and candidates across campus and in P-12 schools as documented in Exhibit 5.3.a.5. Additionally, unit full-time faculty consistently receive high SUMMA means on undergraduate student evaluations and grand means on graduate student evaluations (Exhibit 5.3.a.6 and Exhibit 5.3.a.7). Advising of candidates is also an integral part of faculty teaching responsibilities and is part of the annual evaluation of faculty and consideration for tenure and promotion. High quality advising of candidates, as detailed in the Full-time Faculty Handbook, is extremely important to the university and to the unit.
Exhibits
5.3.a.4 Modeling of Best Practices in Teaching
5.3.a.5 Sampling of Faculty Teaching Awards
5.3.a.6 Undergraduate Course Evaluation Means for Unit
5.3.a.7 Graduate Course Evaluation Means for Unit
5.3.f.1 University Faculty Handbook