And Gladly Wolde He Learn

Abstract

away from publication of more serious research, which may reflect months or years of steady work. The contin gencies thus tend to reinforce superficiality rather than serious research contributions. Hence, professors adjust their behavior to reinforcement contingencies. These contingencies are shaped largely by evaluation criteria which are primarily tokens that can be exchanged for promotions, tenure, and salary increases. To this point there is nothing wrong with the process. But, un fortunately for the students, the universities, and the so ciety, it seems that simplistic evaluation criteria may lead to adjustments which in many ways detract from quality education and quality scholarship. The solution is not to stop evaluation, but rather to in sist on careful and high quality evaluations. First, it is nec essary to develop performance objectives and to define what is meant by professional excellence in the academic environment. This does not imply that there is only one model of excellence. People may contribute in many ways, but some specification is needed. Only after the criteria for excellence are more clearly delineated can more ade quate assessment be developed. It is necessary to measure not only the easy, but also the more difficult, aspects of teaching and research performance. For example, teachers and courses might be retrospectively evaluated by students who have been away for a couple of years and may have gained a new appreciation for some professors formerly described only with much profanity. Second, as persons trained in testing know, it is impera tive to establish normative data before the assessment in strument is used to make decisions. A regretable tendency in the evaluation process has been to assess only non tenured faculty. This does not permit adequate evaluation. Nontenured faculty should be compared to norms estab lished on the tenured faculty, for presumably, these are the individuals who are already demonstrating the desired qual ities that the junior faculty should strive to achieve. We wish to encourage those engaged in faculty evalua tions to continue. However, we urge them to insure that their evaluations reflect adequate criteria, valid measures, and suitable norms.