Attitudes of nurse-faculty toward post-tenure performance evaluations

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Academic Faculty Development
• Higher Education Administration

Background:

• Non-tenured faculty receive annual evaluations, but tenured faculty often lack regular feedback outside of merit or promotion cycles.
• Existing literature suggests periodic post-tenure evaluations can enhance faculty productivity.
• The need for structured feedback mechanisms in academic settings is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the attitudes of nursing faculty in baccalaureate and higher degree programs toward post-tenure performance evaluations.
• To identify factors influencing faculty perceptions of post-tenure evaluation systems.
• To understand faculty desires regarding feedback and objective setting within their institutions.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide survey was conducted with a random sample of 248 nursing faculty.
• Data were collected on faculty attitudes toward post-tenure evaluations.
• Statistical analysis explored relationships between attitudes and variables like tenure status, productivity, motivation, and demographics.

Main Results:

• Attitudes toward post-tenure evaluation were not significantly associated with tenure status, perceived productivity, internal motivation, age, experience, sex, education, or rank.
• No demographic or professional variable explained faculty attitudes toward post-tenure evaluations.
• Faculty participants expressed a clear desire for feedback on their work and a system for defining future objectives.

Conclusions:

• Nursing faculty desire structured feedback and objective-setting opportunities through post-tenure evaluations.
• The implementation of post-tenure evaluation systems is supported by faculty, irrespective of their background or perceived productivity.
• Academic nursing institutions should consider implementing post-tenure evaluation systems to meet faculty needs for feedback and professional development.