6.13 Oral Communication Competence
Purpose
To establish policies and procedures for the evaluation of the oral
communication competence of persons who provide instruction as required
by Iowa law (262.9.24) and Board of Regents, State of Iowa policy.
Policy Statement
Oral communication assessments will be administered as required and
the results reviewed by department heads to ensure that adequate standards
of oral competence are maintained in academic units. Oral communication
competence is understood to be the ability to communicate appropriately
in the language of instruction. Procedures
1. Oral communication competence assessments are conducted by departments.
Assessment forms can be requested from ITS Network Services. Assessments
will be conducted as follows:
a. All Faculty and teaching assistants (instructors) shall be evaluated
annually by students for their oral communication competence.
b. Assessments shall take place at the end of the fall semester, except
for first-year faculty (probationary, term, and full-time temporary)
who will be assessed in the spring during their first year.
c. If needed, department heads will develop strategies to improve
the oral communication of a faculty member.
d. Oral communication evaluations of a faculty member shall cease
if he or she receives two consecutive positive (mean greater than zero)
evaluations on all items of oral competence.
e. The discontinuance of oral competence assessments of a faculty
member is subject to approval by the department head.
2. A separate record will be kept for oral communication competence
assessment and evaluation of persons who provide instruction to students.
This record will not be part of the faculty evaluation file nor used in
the assessment and evaluation of faculty for purposes outlined in Article
III of the Master Agreement.
Faculty Senate, approved 9/24/01
President’s Cabinet, approved 10/28/02 | 
