What higher education state policy issues will be at the forefront of discussion and legislative activity throughout the United States in 2010? Provided herein is the consensus of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) state relations and policy analysis staff, informed by continual scanning of state policy activities,…

Research on the validity of student rating scales of teacher performance is inconsistent, and the issue of why the scales are used needs examination. Until their criterion validity is raised to correlations of .7 to .8 or construct validity can be established, results should not be used in making tenure decisions. (MSE)

Suggestions for improving the design and use of student evaluation forms include tailoring the forms to the class needs and format, wording statements carefully, training students to evaluate performance, allowing ample time for completion, handling the evaluation procedure without involvement of the professor, and eliminating student anonymity.…

Combining period objectives and base evaluations creates an environment of continuing education in a well-functioning college. Specific and measurable attainment can be documented under the heading of "Period Objectives" including: preparation and publication of articles, performance of research projects, and presentation of scholarly papers. (MLW)

Higher education should serve the long-term intellectual needs of the student. The only way to measure real learning is by what it does to the individual student's intellectual growth. A three-step approach to internalize, integrate, and subjectify knowledge is discussed. (MLW)

The criteria and methods for evaluating faculty who teach undergraduates only are discussed with special emphasis on those teaching at lower-division campuses. It is suggested that there would be more effort expended to teach well if faculty knew that effort and performance as teachers were respected and rewarded. (MLW)

The liberal arts college that gives teacher education a high priority in its purpose, that commits itself to the intellectual development of teachers through a humanistic curriculum and that values teaching for its faculty, as well as its prospective teachers, can make a significant contribution to improvement of education. (MLW)

In the class action suits that have been filed against universities alleging discrimination on the basis of sex in regard to faculty salaries, the task for the courts has revolved around reviewing statistical analyses as the determinant of the existence of actionable discrimination. (Author/MLW)