Faculty Assessment & Development

Overview

The Faculty Assessment and Development team at SPS works towards fostering continuous instructional improvement by providing faculty with a wide range of professional development opportunities as well as assistance with assessing the student experience or integrating effective assessment practices. 

Assessment and Development: Services Offered

Upon request, a trained teaching consultant can meet with you to help you implement research-based practices into your teaching, discuss your teaching approach and goals, provide feedback on aspects of your teaching, or discuss any teaching-related concerns you might have. All consultations are strictly confidential. Please contact the Faculty Assessment and Development team ([email protected]) if you would like to arrange either an in-person or virtual consultation or sign up directly here.

Faculty may be required to undergo an observation during their time at SPS. Observations are conducted by the Faculty Assessment and Development team and can be initiated by the Academic Director of the faculty member's respective program, Academic Affairs, or the Dean's Office. 

Additionally, faculty who are looking for constructive feedback on their teaching or ways to improve student learning can request an observation. Observations involve an initial conversation with a trained consultant about your teaching approach and goals, followed by a course observation and a debrief or follow-up consultation. Observations are conducted to examine the extent to which your course goals are met and to provide feedback on your teaching practices. Please contact the Faculty Assessment and Development team ([email protected]) to arrange an observation or sign up directly here.

One-hour Teaching Forums are offered as a venue for faculty to discuss topics of pedagogical interest in a welcoming and collaborative environment. These forums are thematically based, but the conversation shifts according to participants' interests/needs.

Communications regarding dates and times will be sent periodically to all faculty. However, you can sign up here to be added to the Teaching Forum Contact List.

The SPS Faculty Assessment and Development Team offers a series of pedagogical workshops at the beginning of each semester, which are aimed at improving instructional effectiveness across the school. These workshops are offered online and include evening times to accommodate your schedule.

The Faculty Assessment and Development team distributes brief teaching tips regularly to promote professional development in an ongoing manner through the dissemination of evidence-based practices that can be implemented in your classroom. Each tip includes select references for further study and templates you can use to put these tips into practice.