The Florida Senate

1012.94  Evaluations of faculty members; report.--

(1)  For the purpose of evaluating faculty members, each university board of trustees shall adopt rules for the assignment of duties and responsibilities to faculty members. These assigned duties or responsibilities shall be conveyed to each faculty member at the beginning of each academic term, in writing, by his or her departmental chair or other appropriate university administrator making the assignment. In evaluating the competencies of a faculty member, primary assessment shall be in terms of his or her performance of the assigned duties and responsibilities, and such evaluation shall be given adequate consideration for the purpose of salary adjustments, promotions, reemployment, and tenure. A faculty member who is assigned full-time teaching duties as provided by law shall be rewarded with salary adjustments, promotions, reemployment, or tenure for meritorious teaching and other scholarly activities related thereto.

(2)  The State Board of Education shall establish criteria for evaluating the quantity and quality of service to public schools by university faculty members and shall require consideration of this service in promotion, tenure, and other reward measures. Each university board of trustees shall ensure that the following policies are implemented:

(a)  Flexible criteria for rewarding faculty members, consistent with the educational goals and objectives of the university, shall be established, which criteria shall include quality teaching and service to public schools as major factors in determining salary adjustments, promotions, reemployment, or tenure.

(b)  Measures shall be taken to increase the recognition, reinforcements, and rewards given quality teaching and service to public schools. Such measures might include grants for professional development, curriculum improvement, and instructional innovation, as well as awards of varying kinds for meritorious teaching.

(c)  The means of identifying and evaluating quality teachers and outstanding service to public schools shall be determined in accordance with established guidelines of the university.

(3)  The chief academic officer at each state university and New College shall disseminate information to all faculty members which clearly states that service to public schools is one of the criteria used to determine salary adjustments, promotions, reemployment, and tenure for faculty members.

History.--s. 782, ch. 2002-387.