ESS Annual Review Resources

2024 Faculty Annual Evaluations

The Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability will use Interfolio for its Annual Review process.  Please review the instructions and resources on this page for guidance in completing your submission.

INSTRUCTIONS

 

  • This Quick Start Dossier Guide is available to provide general assistance in adding and managing materials and you will find Department-specific guidance in these instructions. Keep scrolling for department-specific resources under the “Resources” heading below and a copy of the questions you will be asked on the review forms and addendums.
  • Use of Faculty180 will not be required for the 2024 Faculty Annual Evaluations but will be utilized for the 2025 review cycle.  You can learn more here by visiting the Provost’s site.
  • Required Steps:
    • You will receive an email from Interfolio notifying you that your case is ready.  Click on the link in the email from Interfolio or visit this link to login to Interfolio: https://account.interfolio.com/sso
    • Select “Colorado State University-Fort Collins” and click Sign in with your NetID and password.
    • If you logged on via the link, you should be taken directly to your case.  If you logged on via the link in this guide, go to the left-hand column, click on Cases to access your Case:
    • You will be taken to the Interfolio Overview:

      Please note that the Faculty Annual Evaluation-SMART Goal Setting and Optional Comments on DEIJ Efforts will not show up as required, however ESS Faculty are expected to complete this form as part of their annual evaluation.
    • To begin uploading materials or submitting answers to the forms, please click on the Packet tab.  You will then be prompted to Add your required materials and submit answers to the questions on the Smart Forms.
    • Upload and complete all materials in Interfolio.
    • Warning: Do not click Submit until you have uploaded and answered all required materials and taken time to “Preview Packet” to be sure your submission is complete and accurate.Once you click Submit, you are unable to further edit or add to your materials. Please take care not to submit until you are confident that your materials are complete.
    • Once your Candidate Packet is complete, you will navigate to the Packet tab > Candidate Documents > Submit.
      • Be sure you’ve completed this at least 3 business days before the 1-hour meeting you have scheduled with the Department Head.
      • Once you submit your packet, it will be reviewed by your department head/chair who will submit the forms named Faculty Annual Evaluation – Performance Ratings, Effort Distribution, and Reappointment and Faculty Annual Evaluation – Department Head Comments on Goals and Accomplishments. You will then receive a notification email from Interfolio that these files have been shared with you.
      • After you have reviewed the shared files, you will use the PDF form at this link to complete your response and save the file to your computer. You may complete this form digitally or by hand if preferred: Faculty Annual Evaluation Response link. Then select the Send Response button on the Shared Committee Files to upload the PDF of your signed response.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

 

  1. Previous Year’s Evaluation
    2023 Faculty Annual Evaluation will be uploaded by ESS staff.
  2. Updated CV or Resume
    Faculty should upload a PDF of their updated CV or Resume.
  • Note that the up-to-date CV you submit for your annual evaluation should include all relevant activities (publications, presentations, funded research, courses taught, graduate students advised (degree program, graduation date), service (Department, College, University, professional), reviewing, leadership (i.e., external leadership service roles and memberships) and clearly distinguish last years’ activities from previous years.
  1. Addendum 1: Smart Goal Setting and Comments on DEIJ Efforts
    Faculty will complete this Addendum via an Interfolio form.
    This submission must be through the form – please do not submit it as an attachment. This is CSU required.
  2. Addendum 2: Activities and Teaching Effectiveness
    Faculty will complete this Addendum via an Interfolio form.  This submission must be through the form – please do not submit it as an attachment. This is Department specific.

DEPARTMENT RESOURCES

 

Faculty will want to utilize the following information and resources to accurately complete the Teaching Effectiveness portion of this form:

Assessment of teaching effectiveness and improvement recommendations for ESS will follow the general approach of CSU TILT, with some department-specific additions developed by the ESS Undergraduate Program Committee. This builds on the many CSU TILT resources and training for faculty.

Teaching Improvement Activity Options

Utilizing Mid-Semester Feedback and Course Surveys[1] 

Gathering mid-semester feedback is important for a variety of reasons:

  • Make sure what you’re doing is connecting with what students are doing
  • Support and enhance student learning and engagement in that semester’s course
  • Assess your own instructional approach the first time teaching a course
  • Discover the impact of instructional changes from the previous semester
  • Improve your teaching
  • Model reflective practice and demonstrate your care and commitment to students’ success
  • Avoid surprises in their end-of-semester course evaluations

Here are some more links to questions you can ask in your surveys and other actions you can take:

[1] if you can get >50% response rate for your class (e.g., by offering extra credit if the majority of a class fills these out), and/or additional surveys that you create and conduct to assess student perception of your teaching effectiveness  (see tips below for making effective surveys).

Teaching Effectiveness Goal Setting
A detailed description of a process for goal setting that ESS Faculty should follow from TILT

Goals should fall within one or more of the CSU TILT teaching domains:

    1. Pedagogical content knowledge
    2. Student motivation
    3. Curriculum/curricular alignment
    4. Inclusive pedagogy
    5. Classroom climate
    6. Feedback and assessment
    7. Instructional strategies

TILT provides training and suggestions under each of these domains.

INTERFOLIO FORM PREVIEW:

 

Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring: SMART Goals – a preview of the information you will be asked to provide:

  • S (Specific Goal) – Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring
    Describe a specific goal for Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring in the upcoming year. Example: Develop new course XXX.
  • M (Metrics) – Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring
    How will you measure progress toward this goal? Example: learning outcomes, content, fit in curriculum, enrollment.
  • A (Attainable) – Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring
    What actions will you take to attain this goal in the next year? Example: Develop course in Fall and start approval process as part of teaching load, offer in Spring as part of teaching load if approved in time.
  • R (Relevant) – Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring
    Why is achieving this goal important to your effort distribution and career level? Example: The T&P committee encourages assistant professors to develop at least one new course.
  • T (Timeframe) – Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring
    What is your target deadline for achieving this goal? Example: Have at least Y students enrolled the first semester it is offered.
  • Professional Development – Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring Goal
    Is there a professional development activity that would help you achieve this goal? Note that professional development plans may not apply to every goal. Example: Participate in the TILT Best Practices in Teaching (BPIT) module.

Research, Scholarship, and Creativity: SMART Goals – a preview of the information you will be asked to provide:

  • S (Specific Goal) – Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
    Describe a specific goal for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity in the upcoming year. Example: Submit a new NIH R01 grant proposal on ___ topic.
  • M (Metrics) – Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
    How will you measure progress toward this goal? Example: Grant is successfully submitted.
  • A (Attainable) – Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
    What actions will you take to attain this goal in the next year? Example: Plan 2 months ahead of the pre-award deadline for writing, and have the prelim data complete 3 months before the deadline.
  • R (Relevant) – Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
    Why is achieving this goal important to your effort distribution and career level? Example: I need to land a large Federal grant before I go up for tenure in Fall ’25.
  • T (Timeframe) – Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
    What is your target deadline for achieving this goal? Example: Aim for the October 5 deadline, and February 1 deadline as backup. Must be to pre-award by ____, OSP by ______.
  • Professional Development – Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Goal
    Is there a professional development activity that would help you achieve this goal? Note that professional development plans may not apply to every goal.

University/Professional/Public Service and Outreach: SMART Goals – a preview of the information you will be asked to provide:

  • S (Specific Goal) – University/ Professional/ Public Service and Outreach
    Describe a specific goal for University/ Professional/ Public Service and Outreach in the upcoming year. Example: Join the department DEIJ committee.
  • M (Metrics) – University/ Professional/ Public Service and Outreach
    How will you measure progress toward this goal? Example: Become a member of the DEIJ committee, attend meetings, and do the work.
  • A (Attainable) – University/ Professional/ Public Service and Outreach
    What actions will you take to attain this goal in the next year? Example: The department head will recommend me to DEIJ committee chair.
  • R (Relevant) – University/ Professional/ Public Service and Outreach
    Why is achieving this goal important to your effort distribution and career level? Example: Department service recommended by T&P committee.
  • T (Timeframe) – University/ Professional/ Public Service and Outreach

What is your target deadline for achieving this goal? Example: Join the committee at the beginning of the Fall semester.

  • Professional Development – University/ Professional/ Public Service and Outreach Goal
    Is there a professional development activity that would help you achieve this goal? Note that professional development plans may not apply to every goal.

DEIJ efforts (optional)

  • Opportunity to further describe your DEIJ efforts in Instruction, Advising, and Mentoring as in alignment with your department code and job description. This section is optional.
  • Opportunity to further describe your DEIJ efforts in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity as in alignment with your department code and job description. This section is optional.
  • Opportunity to further describe your DEIJ efforts in University/Professional/Public Service and Outreach as in alignment with your department code and job description. This section is optional.

Activities – a preview of the information you will be asked to provide:

  • List your undergraduate advisees, including your role as an advisor (e.g., honors thesis mentor).
  • List all teaching contributions (including courses, but also curriculum development, informal educational activities, guest lectures, etc.).
  • What is your ISI H-index?
  • Describe your individual contributions (beyond just being a member) to ESS/WCNR/CSU committees.
  • (Optional). You may include here additional activities such as papers not accepted, grants not funded, incoming graduate advisees and mechanism of support, departmental citizenship contributions, etc.

Teaching Effectiveness- SMART Goals – a preview of the information you will be asked to provide:

  • Describe your overarching teaching goals
  • Please provide a short reflection based on responses to your course surveys, indicating areas of your course (content, Canvas, etc.) and delivery that were pointed out as areas for improvement.
  • Provide a short review of goals/teaching advances since the previous annual review, including any improvements you made to your course, pedagogy, etc.
  • S (Specific Goal) – Teaching Effectiveness. Describe a specific goal for improving your Teaching Effectiveness. This Goal should fall within one or more of CSU TILT Teaching Domains.
  • M (Metrics) – Teaching Effectiveness. How will you measure progress toward this goal? A (Attainable) – Teaching Effectiveness. What actions will you take to attain this goal in the next year?
  • A (Attainable) – Teaching Effectiveness. What actions will you take to attain this goal in the next year?
  • R (Relevant) – Teaching Effectiveness. Why is achieving this goal important to your effort distribution and career level?
  • T (Timeframe) – Teaching Effectiveness. What is your target deadline for achieving this goal?
  • Professional Development – Teaching Effectiveness. Is there a professional development activity that would help you achieve this goal?