Faculty in higher education have expectations across three domains: teaching, research/scholarship, and service. However, research suggests that expectations in each area can sometimes be vague, especially between different faculty ranks and instructional positions. The purpose of this study was to examine the clarity, specificity, and consistency of department evaluation plan (DEP) review criteria for each of the three domains. To do this, we developed a checklist that measured 18 criteria for each domain. The coding process using the checklist involved independent reviews by two team members followed by a collaborative discussion to form consensus for any coding disagreements. Currently, we have completed reviews for 12 of 24 DEPs from one college at UWEC. Preliminary results suggest that teaching expectations in DEPs are significantly clearer than scholarship expectations. There is also significantly greater clarity within all three domains for DEPs that separate expectations by faculty rank compared to DEPs that do not separate by rank. We plan to finish analyzing the remaining DEPs prior to CERCA in order to present the complete results. Overall, this research is important because review expectations can guide engagement in work activities, relate to department culture, and support overall faculty and staff retention.
