| This study ascertained the current and preferred practices used in annual faculty evaluation programs, as perceived by vice presidents for academia affairs, at Thai private higher educational institutions. These practices were examined in terms of purpose, process, areas and methods employed, and obstacles to implementing faculty evaluation.; A field survey research methodology was employed in this study. Questionnaires were sent to 27 vice presidents for academic affairs. Twenty-four respondents completed the questionnaires and indicated their perceptions of the current and preferred faculty evaluation practices.; The findings revealed that the two major purposes of faculty evaluations in the surveyed Thai private higher educational institutions were (a) teaching improvement, and (b) providing individual faculty with performance feedback. Respondents indicated that the faculty evaluation programs were organized either by the academic affairs office or the personnel office. The dean and department chair had most of the responsibilities in the faculty evaluation program. The areas of faculty evaluation included (a) teaching, (b) research, and (c) service activities. However, the surveyed institutions emphasized teaching performance more than they did other areas. The major sources of faculty evaluation information came from student ratings, department chair evaluations, and dean evaluations. Respondents agreed that some steps of the current faculty evaluation programs were not done well. A large number of institutions encountered limited faculty experience with the use of evaluation results for growth and development help, and rewards for meritorious performance were not related to the evaluation process. Most respondents wanted to improve evaluation program effectiveness. Based on the views of vice presidents for academic affairs, as well as a literature review the faculty evaluation process for Thai higher educational institutions was developed.; Faculty evaluation programs in Thai private higher educational institutions are in need of improvement, especially in terms of the evaluation process, the criteria employed, and the use of evaluation results. Administrators should pay more attention to the elimination of obstacles encountered in the faculty evaluation implementation and improvement of evaluation program effectiveness. |
