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- INDG 305-1 Treaties in Canada
- FASS 200-1 Writing Right: Strategies for effective revision
- FASS 204-1 Communicating in Conflict and Negotiation
- FASS 207-1 Cultural Humility: Understanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- FASS 208-1 Introduction to Personal Financial Planning for Students
- FASS 210-1 Language Network Science
- FASS 211-1 Data Literacy and the City
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2018
- January
- Graduate Liberal Studies' Dr. Stephen Duguid now professor emeritus
- Congratulations to the 2017 Staff Achievement Award recipients from across FASS
- Comics a way to express ideas about health
- Alumni Profile: Jon Robinson, Public Policy
- An interview with Rhys Kesselman: Thoughts on an Illustrious Career in Policy
- Students from across FASS sweep inaugural Student Learning Commons Undergraduate Writing Contest
- FASS Graduate Students Up for Public Choice Award in National Competition
- Gerontology launches new student blog
- Communicating with babies--studies show moms and dads can differ in approach
- Autism and Aboriginal families: new project to shed light on health inequity in BC Aboriginal communities
- February
- Graduate Student Profile: Justine Mallou, Political Science
- Jeremy Brown Wins 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award
- New book on Secwépemc people garners critical praise
- FASS students and faculty featured in annual Office for Aboriginal Peoples Newsletter
- 2018 RADIUS fellows include FASS alum, students, and staff
- Urban Studies' Meg Holden awarded 2018 President's Award for Leadership in Sustainability
- March
- Master's students from the School of Public Policy win national case competition
- Chancellor Anne Giardini named Influential Woman in Business
- Meet Gerontology's new postdoctoral fellows, Dr. Theodore Cosco and Dr. Sue Peters
- Prize-winning book brings 10, 000 years of Shuswap First Nation history to life
- Economics' Arthur Robson appointed Fellow of the Canadian Economics Association
- Staff Profile: Rose Baik, Coordinator, Student Recruitment & Advising, FASS Surrey
- History welcomes new visiting scholar, Dr. Katrina Jagodinsky
- Art & Mindfulness event addresses mental health barriers
- Chris Lewis, First Nations Studies alum, appointed deputy chair of SFU Board of Governors
- Curious 73-year-old joins study tour to explore Spain’s Islamic history
- Recognize, render and redirect: Supporting faculty to support students with mental health challenges
- April
- Conference aims to improve diagnosis and support for women and girls with autism
- Claire Trépanier honoured by L'Ordre Des Palmes académiques
- Psychology alum earns 2018 BC Community Achievement Award
- 4th Annual SFU World Literature Student Conference a hit and a win for organizers and attendees alike
- SFU Political Science student named one of Surrey's "Top 25 Under 25"
- English's Colette Colligan uses big data to mine new insights into media coverage of the Oscar Wilde trials
- History's Mark Leier engages students with teaching portfolios and a simple question
- Surrey highschooler studying philosophy at SFU nets international human rights prize
- SFU Undergraduate Research Symposium presents original research by students from across FASS
- Linguistics' Dr. Maite Taboada harnessing Big Data to combat fake news
- May
- Political science prof Michael Howlett named Canada Research Chair in Policy Innovation for Climate Change
- Recognize, Render and Redirect: Supporting Faculty to Support Students with Mental Health Challenges
- SFU's Doug McArthur wins 2018 Lieutenant Governor silver medal for public administration
- Recognize, Render and Redirect: Supporting Faculty to Support Students with Mental Health Challenges
- June
- In Memoriam: Meiyu Li
- SFU and NATO Defense College sign Memorandum of Understanding
- Convocation Award Winners, 2018
- Convocation Profile: Paul Hagen, History
- Convocation Profile: Micaela Evans, Gender, Sexuality and Womens Studies and First Nations Studies
- Convocation Profile: Samuel Thiak, Political Science
- Convocation Profile: Kaitlyn Thompson, Linguistics
- Convocation Profile: Anoop Virk, International Studies
- Convocation Profile: Samaah Jaffer, International Studies and World Literature
- FASS Employee Achievement Awards
- First Nations Studies undergraduate Melanie Mercer earns student essay award from Blue Metropolis Literary Prize
- History's Mark Leier and Psychology's Jodi Viljoen recognized for excellent graduate supervision
- Philosophy's Dr. Lisa Shapiro earns Ulrike Detmers Elisabeth of Bohemia Prize
- In Memoriam: Maha El Meseery, School of Interactive Arts & Technology
- 2018 Cormack Teaching Award Winners
- July
- August
- Psychology postdoc partners with BC Hydro to study how innovative light therapy can improve mental health and addictions treatments
- Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies launches 2017/18 Newsletter
- International Studies student enlivens vacant storefronts in Surrey, BC
- Deanna Reder elected to the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars
- September
- New Faculty Profile: Heather Bliss, Linguistics
- American community at SFU helps to get out the US vote
- Welcome Dr. Maite Taboada, FASS Associate Dean of Research for Fall 2018
- Gender Equality Activist Ellen Woodsworth Receives Rosemary Brown Award for Women
- 2018 FASS Autumn Reception and Cormack Teaching Symposium
- Keeping the spirit of Gandhi alive at SFU
- New Faculty Profile: June Scudeler, First Nations Studies and Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies
- Welcome: New FASS Faculty Members
- Psychology PhD student finds suprising data on dating violence
- Psychology grad earns 2018 Terry Fox Gold Medal
- 2018 FASS Autumn Reception and Cormack Teaching Symposium
- Prison tours increase student empathy towards prisoners and staff
- October
- SFU Political Science organizes event to inform BC voters in preparation of upcoming referendum on electoral reform
- 2018 Dean's Medals of Excellence
- Convocation Profile: Don Shafer, MA, Graduate Liberal Studies
- 2018 FASS Employee Achievement Awards
- Convocation Profile: Soraya Janus, MA Criminology
- Sociology's Ann Travers featured on Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences Blog
- Convocation Profile: Alex Garcia Fuentes, International Studies
- Sociology & Anthropology Grad Student Yun Zhang on the International Teaching Assistant Program
- Faculty Profile: Jodi Viljoen
- Faculty Profile: Mark Leier
- 2018 Cormack Teaching Symposium: The craft of teaching and putting yourself in your students' shoes
- November
- Undergraduate Student Profile: Rébecca Brassard, Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and Political Science
- SFU Psychology places high on Times Higher Education World University Subject Rankings
- Field School Notes: International Studies
- Field School Notes: Criminology
- Video: How FASS graduate students and postdocs can access $15 000 in Mitacs funding
- Criminology professor Gail Anderson's expertise in forensic entomology helps exonerate American woman imprisoned for 17 years
- Travel Report: Benjamin Dipple, History
- Travel Report: Panagiotis Delis, History
- Travel Report: Gyuzel Kamalova, Sociology and Anthropology
- December
- FASS Courses Open Spring 2019
- Welcome Ruby Campbell, new FASS Director of Advancement
- Undergraduate student Natalie Lim earns top honour with CBC Poetry Prize
- New Faculty Profile: Laurel Weldon, Political Science
- International Studies student Raymond Messier on his summer of international search and rescue ambassadorship
- Travel Report: Sarah Vanderveer, Sociology and Anthropology
- Travel Report: Songwei He, History
- January
-
2017
- January
- Christine Kim and Helen Leung on the Institute for Transpacific Cultural Research
- SFU creates institute for tech research on healthy aging
- Anthropology MA student examines lifestyle of Mexican migrant agricultural workers
- Congratulations to Our Recent Order of Canada Recipients
- First Nations Language Centre races to preserve B.C. First Nations languages
- February
- Graduate Student Profile: Noortje de Weers, Linguistics
- International recognition for Criminology's pioneering forensic entomologist Gail Anderson
- New cohort of Squamish speakers hopes to revitalize language
- SFU economist runs the numbers on speed dating
- Study: giving a gift that reflects you rather than your valentine strengthens relationships
- Research Profile: Tina Adcock, History
- SFU honours FASS Connections Mentorship Program
- March
- Research Profile: Dr. Colette Colligan Discovering Wilde Data
- Graduate Student Profile: Andrew Czink, GLS
- Psychology student shares four tips for couples in a long distance relationship
- Award for best dissertation won by Criminology's Evan McCuish
- Students win at Model NATO Competition
- Graduate Profile: Reema Faris, GSWS
- A FASS sustainability champion wins President’s Award for Leadership in Sustainability
- Hope Caldi wins national award for her public policy recommendations
- Criminology's Sheri Fabian receives SFU's highest honour for teaching
- Alumni Profile: Robert Bittner, GSWS
- Undergraduate Profile: Sarah Duggan, International Studies
- April
- May
- Study suggests drug criminalization undermines global HIV efforts
- Photovoice Exhibit Explores Immigration, Aging, and Lived Experiences
- PhD Student Lindsey Bannister on Writer in Residence Programs
- Gloria Gutman, Gerontology, Invested into the Order of Canada
- GLS alumna Roberta Staley on women in media and gender equality in Afghanistan
- Graduate Student Profile: Alex Thumm, Urban Studies
- History Undergraduate Student Jazmin Hundal Receives 2017 George Paris Award in Scottish Studies
- June
- Criminology grad recognized for volunteerism and academic achievement
- Convocation Profile: Jennifer Cooper, Political Science
- Convocation Profile: Julie Andreyev, GLS
- Convocation 2017: Matty Taghipour, BA, advocating for restorative justice
- Convocation 2017: Billie Joe Rogers, PhD, evaluates a BC program for indigenous youth
- Convocation 2017: Bangladesh research, co-op readies MA student Kirk Hepburn for career
- Graduate Convocation Medal Winners, 2017
- Convocation Profile: Kelsey Wilson, World Literature
- Convocation 2017: SFU experience “life-changing” for Lucia Pecnikova, BA
- Convocation 2017: Glenyth Caragata, PhD, research on understanding older drivers’ needs
- Dionne Brand to receive honourary degree and give Shadbolt Lecture
- 2017 FASS Convocation Speakers
- Study on Aging and Resiliency Benefits from New CIHR Funding
- Jordan Abel Wins the 2017 Griffin Poetry Prize
- Nancy Olewiler, Public Policy, Named a 2017 YWCA Woman of Distinction
- July
- GSWS study results in new support services for LGBTQ+ newcomers
- Video by Director of World Literature program featured in The Tyee
- Faculty Research Profile: Dr. John McDonald, Psychology
- Students launch second edition of De Voix Vives
- Danielle Murdoch returns to place that kindled her passion for criminology
- Graduate Student Profile: Laura Kadowaki, Gerontology
- August
- September
- Dr. Evan McCuish has a strong background in research collaboration
- Graduate Student Profile: Nadine Boulay, GSWS
- John Harriss (International Studies) named Royal Society of Canada Fellow
- Coaching Hockey in China: How a Political Science and Economics Major Spent His Summer
- Research Profile: Tanya Broesch, Psychology
- Video connects World Literature community
- October
- 2017 Dean's Medals
- SFU Aboriginal Reconciliation Council presents calls to action for reconciliation to SFU President Andrew Petter.
- How Vancouver Specials make Vancouver special
- Convocation Profile: Esinam Ayesu-Attah, Sociology and Criminology
- New Major in Labour Studies to Launch in Fall 2018
- Grad strikes philosophy degree off long bucket list
- Travel Report: Lindsey Bannister, Department of English
- Convocation Profile: Roisin Elworthy, French
- November
- Field Notes: Anna Lechintan, World Literature
- Mastery grading: How one professor uses tests to help his students learn
- David Chariandy’s second novel, Brother, wins 2017 Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize
- SFU community loses Donald Grayston, humanities and religious studies scholar, retired priest, and activist.
- Postdoctoral researcher in linguistics, Katharina Ehret, studies why online comments matter
- World Literature Program celebrates 10 years
- Restorative justice researcher and SFU alumnus Alana Abramson recognized by BC Ministry of Public Safety
- Engaging in eco-friendly behaviours can promote well-being say SFU researchers
- SFU community loses Donald Grayston, humanities and religious studies scholar, retired priest, and activist.
- December
- January
-
2016
- January
- February
- Can you predict romantic attraction? This Psychology study is trying to find the answer
- Linguistics Manager Rita Parmar Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
- Congratulations to Psychology's Dr. John McDonald and Dr. Marlene Moretti on their Canada Research Chair Appointments
- International Studies Student, Claire Sieffert, Campaigns for National Eating Disorder Policy
- Alumna Profile: Janice Morris, English
- Governor General's Medal for the late Liz Elliott
- March
- Indian linguist teaches Haida language—and learns it in the process
- Faculty Research Profile: Dr. Sonja Luehrmann, Sociology & Anthropology
- Getting Closer With Kindness: Social Anxiety Disorder Research
- Stephen Duguid receives Excellence in Teaching Award
- SFU recognizes sustainability champion Wes Regan, Urban Studies student
- GSWS Students Call for Sexual Assault Prevention & Support Centre at SFU
- April
- Urban Studies and Public Policy conference discusses 50 years of regional district model
- War Narratives in the 21st Century
- Haida experience moves Indian language scholar
- Alumna Profile: MLA Melanie Mark, Political Science
- Martin Andresen receives the 2016 Western Society of Criminology Fellows Award
- SFU celebrates Tartan Day with a visit from 78th Fraser Highlanders
- History Undergrad William Gill Receives Centre for Scottish Studies Award
- May
- June
- Congratulations to Professor Emerita Sandra Djwa for her Honorary Degree from McGill University
- White Rock politician seeks to improve public policies
- Dr. Sonja Luehrmann receives Waldo Gifford Leland Award from the Society of American Archivists
- From senior to señora: Margaret Torgerson’s journey in gerontology
- Undergrad takes on the full university experience: Andreas Hovland
- Shedding new light on sex offenders' crimes reveals surprises
- Graduate Profile: Xueqiong Feng, BA, Economics
- Graduate Profile: Katarina Bogosavljevic, BA, Criminology
- Graduate Profile: Sarah Wu, MA, Gerontology
- Graduate Profile: Daniel Mundeva, MA International Studies
- Dean of Graduate Studies Awards for Excellence: Eric Beauregard, Criminology
- 2016 FASS Convocation Speakers
- Graduate Convocation Medal Winners, 2016
- Undergraduate Convocation Award Winners, 2016
- July
- August
- Graduate Liberal Studies student, Shawk Alani, organizes photography workshop for Syrian refugee children
- Department of French launches De Voix Vives, an online journal of student poetry and prose in French
- Criminology's Eric Beauregard recognized for excellence in supervision
- New app from First Nations Language Centre preserves Shuswap legend
- September
- October
- Sociology & Anthropology Convocation 2016
- English Alumna Lucia Lorenzi receives Governor General’s Award
- Habiba Zaman, GSWS, Honoured by Hohai University
- Research Profile: Luba Petersen, Economics
- 2016 Dean’s Medals
- Convocation Profile: Fredrick (Levi) Wilson, First Nations Studies
- Convocation Profile: Cameron Young, Economics
- Convocation Profile: Alana Abramson, Criminology
- Convocation Profile: Linda Chen, Economics
- Convocation Profile: Joy Walcott-Francis, GSWS
- November
- December
-
2015
- January
- February
- Political Science and International Studies Students Represent SFU at Model Nato Youth Summit
- Bill Reid Centre Relocates to Burnaby Campus
- Department of Linguistics Delegation to Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Institute for the Humanities Hosts Karen Ferguson Lecture on Black Leadership in America
- School of Public Policy Team Wins National Policy Case Competition
- March
- April
- May
- June
- GSWS Student Caroline Doerksen Receives Pride Legacy Award
- Convocation Profile: Nathan Murray, Economics BA
- Student Profile: Claudia Arrieta, International Studies
- 2015 FASS Convocation Speakers
- 79-year-old Meg Penner Graduates with a Master’s in Humanities
- SFU Wrestler Collects BA in English on Way to 2015 Pan Am Games
- Degree Helps New Westminster Mayor Solve Real World Problems
- Criminology's Dr. Ehsan Jozaghi and his Commitment to Research in Harm Reduction
- Graduating Sociology Student Kevin Kimoto Co-founds Social Venture
- Life through Autofiction: French MA Graduate, Laurence Gavreau Sinotte, on Québécois Novelist Nelly Arcan
- Undergraduate Convocation Award Winners, 2015
- Psychology's Dr. Samuele Zilioli receives Governor General's Gold Medal
- Graduate Convocation Medal Winners, 2015
- Surviving Grad School: History’s Mark Leier and Artist Sam Bradd Illustrate Advice for Graduate Students
- July
- August
- September
- October
- Nathan Lyndsay awarded Rosemary Brown Undergraduate Scholarship in Social Justice
- Sara Diamond, Digital Media Arts Pioneer, on her "Early Days" at SFU
- Remembering Canada's Difficult Histories: Japanese Canadian Oral History
- Bad Guys, Good Bugs: Criminology's Gail Anderson on Forensic Entomology
- Suicide Research Prompts CIHR Banting Fellowship
- Stephen Collis co-recipient of Sterling Prize for Work in Sustainable Energy and Materials Policy
- November
- December
-
2014
- January
- February
- SFU Leaders in Public Engagement: Dr. Marlene Moretti of the Department of Psychology
- SFU’s Research Chair in Environmental Criminology, Dr. Graham Farrell, on Criminology’s “Dirty Little Secret”
- Alumna Profile: Jennifer Scott, English
- The Elephants in Vancouver’s Sustainable Food Movement
- Metro Vancouver Housing Under SFU Microscope
- March
- SFU Policy Case Team in Toronto: How Seven Days Turns into 20 Minutes
- Gendered Tensions Across History: Dr. Lara Campbell on Emerging Research and Contexts
- Indigenous Literatures in Canada
- Student Profile – Aleks Besan, International Studies
- Historian Willeen Keough Takes on Housing Justice Struggles
- Alumnus Profile: Benjamin Hendriksen, Public Policy
- April
- Tricycle Symbolizes Freedom for Residential-School Children
- Bev Davino, Psychology, wins 2013 Staff Achievement Award
- Marjorie Griffen Cohen Honoured With Lifetime Achievement Award
- Scientists Discover Brain’s Anti-distraction System
- Study Says We’re Over the Hill at 24
- Faculty Profile: Chung-hye Han, Department of Linguistics
- “Learning to Tell Our Academic Stories in Different Ways”: Dr. Sasha Colby
- SSHRC Storytelling Finals for FASS Students
- Sandra Djwa: Biographer Extraordinaire
- May
- June
- William Doulome: Emerging Educator and Advocate for the Visually Impaired
- Infrastructure Versus Aftershock: Keren Zaiontz and Peter Dickinson on Performance, Global Mega-Events, and Human Rights
- PhD Student Adam Vaughan Examines Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System
- 2014 Cormack Teaching Award Winners
- Workshop on the History of the Philosophical Concept of Pleasure
- Dara Culhane: Performance Studies for Teaching and Practicing Ethnography
- Undergraduate Convocation Award Winners, 2014
- Graduate Convocation Medal Winners, 2014
- Researchers to Expand Child Exploitation Web-Crawler
- Economist Arthur Robson Awarded John Rae Prize
- July
- August
- September
- October
- Safety and Autonomy in Trans Self-Identification: Call for Preferred Names at SFU
- Want to Feel Good? Spend Money on Someone Else Says Researcher
- Bodies at Sea – Ocean Oxygen Levels May Impact Scavenger Response
- FASS Student Convocation Speaker
- Convocation Profile: Amarachi Nnah-obgonda
- Convocation Profile: Julie Shum's MA Highlights Seniors’ Housing
- Faculty Profile: Kendra Strauss, Labour Studies
- November
- December
-
2013
- January
- Mark Blair on Discovery Channel Talking about Gamer Skills
- Sandra Djwa's Bio on Poet P.K. Page on Short List for Charles Taylor Prize
- Ellen Vaillancourt, CCSMSC, Awarded the 2012 SFU Staff Achievement Award for Work Performance
- Christine Harper, Economics, Awarded the 2012 SFU Staff Achievement Award in Humanitarism
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- Julie MacArthur Receives Dean's Convocation Medal
- Jodi Yager Receives Dean's Convocation Medal
- Xianghua Wu Receives Dean's Convocation Medal
- Governor General's Silver Medal Honors Passion for Political Science
- Engaging the World
- Lifeguard Floats Future in Literature
- 2013 FASS Convocation Speakers
- English Department Award Winner Patty Kelly
- Undergraduate Award Winners, 2013
- “Historic Plaque Goes Missing: The Second Eviction of Olaf Solheim”
- Psychology Departmental Manager, Beverley Davino on 36 years of Service at SFU
- Sheila Delany, Emerita, Department of English
- SFU’s New Institute for the Reduction of Youth Violence
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- Alumna Profile: Anne Giardini, Economics
- Engaging and Empowering
- Professor Emerita Sandra Djwa winner of the 2013 Governor General’s Literary Award for non-fiction
- SFU Professor Undertakes Prostitution Policy Research
- Telling the Untold Story: “Reclaiming The New Westminster Waterfront”
- Dr. Ralph Mistlberger on 25 Years Studying Circadian Rhythms
- December
- January
-
2012
- Cormack Teaching Awards and Dean's Medals
- Students Gearing Up for the Mongol Rally
- World Literature Grads Excel at Community and Global Engagement
- Robert C. Brown Award Winner
- 2012 Dean’s Undergraduate Convocation Medal Winners
- 2012 Dean's Graduate Convocation Medal Winners
- English Professor Wins Dean of Graduate Studies Leadership Award
- 2012 Cormack Teaching Award Winners Announced
- 2012 Theodore Saloutos Memorial Book Award
- André Gerolymatos Wins President’s Media Award
- Two Shadbolt Fellowships Awarded
-
2011
- FASS Recipients of the 2011 SFU Outstanding Alumni Award
- Martin Cooper, FASS Dean's Office, at the "Oscars"
- 2011 Cormack Teaching Awards
- 2011 Dean's Medals
- Criminology Department Wins Major Continuing Education Award
- FASS Community Members Win Graduate Studies Award
- Convocation Awards to FASS Students
- History’s Paul Sedra Publishes New Book
- Arthur Robson Wins Prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship
- The Fight Against “Pink Viagra”
- Psychology Faculty Win Accolades
- FASS Well Represented in 2011 Outstanding Alumni Awards
- New Chair to Address Youth Violence
- 2010
- Community
- Teaching
- Faculty & staff portal
- FASS at Surrey
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FASS News, Faculty, History, Faculty
Developing a robust and flexible teaching assessment
By Tiffany Lau
Providing engaging, dynamic, and innovative education is a core tenant of SFU’s central mission, and one of the ways the university gauges the quality of its education is through the teaching assessments of its teaching faculty. Studies have shown that Student Evaluation on Teaching (SETs) used as the only method of assessment is unreliable and over the years have gathered quite a lot of criticism for not being taken seriously by students, the data being inconsistent, biased, and not providing constructive feedback.
Appointed as FASS Teaching Fellow in September 2021, Dr. Jennifer Spear from the Department of History is working with FASS Tenure and Promotion Committees (TPCs) to develop an equitable, robust, and flexible teaching assessment with manageable methods for her focus.
SFU’s Teaching Assessment Working Group (TAWG) is a committee that was created in 2017 to establish conversations among faculty to improve teaching values and practices at SFU. It published its final report in 2019, stating how relying only on SETs provides a very narrow and subjective reflection on how a faculty member is teaching effectively.
“The student evaluations are great for revealing the student’s experience with the course and instructor,” states Spear, “but not for evaluating the effectiveness which is what TPCs are reviewing.”
To remedy this issue, Spear says TPCs need to work towards developing new teaching assessments with a multi-method approach towards evaluation.
“The multiple method approach will not only ensure that we are not evaluating from a single moment but from a continuum of progress” says Spear “and it will also provide a more holistic evaluation through various voices and perspectives.”
A multi-method approach means including perspectives from students, peers, and the faculty members themselves.
Although SETs should not be used as the only marker of teaching effectiveness, TAWG notes that it does provide important insight on a student’s perception of the quality of the teaching experience, the personal impact of the instructor on their learning and their experience of inclusion in the course, and the instructor's enthusiasm towards the subject.
Spear notes that adding peer observation as one of the methods will bring in an important angle of assessment. Observing fellow faculty, peers may observe the class in-person or simply review the course content, material, and syllabi to reflect on the appropriateness of the course. For example, they may remark on whether the material that is taught is appropriate for the level of the course or if the content and assignments are related to the topic of the course.
Finally, including faculty members’ perspectives through personal reflection will allow them to contextualize their teaching philosophy and the choices that they have made through the course or semester and their progress.
“The personal reflections are great,” says Spear, recalling the Department of History’s bi-annual salary reviews that require faculty members to write up a reflection. She notes that reading the progress of her colleagues even helped her make improvements to her own teaching.
The multi-method approach also allows diversity and flexibility for departments to choose various methods of evaluation that suit their discipline best.
“For example, in lab sciences it may be more appropriate to consider graduate supervision as an element of research rather than teaching, whereas in history, graduate students have their own independent research, rather than working on the faculty member’s research which makes their relationship more of a teaching role between supervisor and mentor,” Spear states.
Noting that flexibility will be the key to the success of this teaching assessment, Spear points out that both the 2019 TAWG report and the 2019-2022 Collective Agreement are written with a lot of flexibility to allow departments the liberty to create their own criteria. Departments are highly encouraged to consider the purpose and values of teaching in their discipline before creating their criteria for assessment.
“It’s important that we keep that openness and to allow different approaches, so departments get to define their own method of assessment,” acknowledges Spear.
The implementation of multi-method model of teaching assessment is in its initial stages, and Spear acknowledges there is still a lot of work to be done, such as setting up support workshops for faculty and departments, but she is positive about being in the development and implementation stages.
“Many people are excited and see the necessity to develop a new teaching assessment for the benefit and future improvement of SFU’s education,” says Spear.
For more information, resources and updates on workshops please check the FASS Teaching Fellows website and CEE’s Support for Teaching Assessment.