Teaching Portfolio Guidelines
Guidelines for Developing a Teaching Portfolio are below on this page or located officially under Regulations Relating to the Employment of Tenure-Track and Tenured Academic Staff , Appendix A, page 20.
These guidelines, along with other regulations pertaining to the employment, reappointment and promotion of academic faculty members, have been revised as of September, 2012. See also SECTION 9. TRANSITION PROVISIONS, on page 19 of the revised regulations for an explanation of which guidelines apply to tenure applications during the period of transition. A summary of all University Policies, Procedures and Guidelines is located on the Secretariat website.
Appendix A - Guidelines For Developing A Teaching Portfolio
Along with documentation pertaining to research and service, dossiers for reappointment and tenure must include a teaching portfolio.1 The intention of these guidelines is to assist professors in determining what kind of information and materials should be included. The Teaching Portfolio is intended to be a concise compilation of selected information that systematically documents the effectiveness, scope, complexity, and individuality of an instructor's teaching, reflecting the progression of teaching over the last few years. The Teaching Portfolio consists of a teaching statement and supporting appendices. Three main categories should be summarized:
A fourth category may be included as appropriate, dealing with teaching development and educational leadership activities.
The summary statement can refer the reader to the curriculum vitae and/or the appendices to the Teaching Portfolio for more detailed information.
1. Teaching approach (1-2 pages):
This section presents the professor's approach to teaching and research supervision. Included here might be topics such as:
- rationale for particular teaching methods;
- learning goals for students;
- how student learning is evaluated and why;
- how research and the ‘process of inquiry’ is integrated into teaching;
- directions and plans for future development of teaching, in the light of teaching experiences.
2. Teaching responsibilities:
This section summarizes different teaching activities that the professor has been involved in, with a brief description of the professor’s primary role and contributions.
Information should include:
- list of courses taught, course level, enrolment, format. (This information can take the form of a table.)
- brief description of any new courses developed, if applicable, with rationale.
- supervision of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
- undergraduate supervision.
- student advising (unless this is included under ‘Other contributions’ in the dossier).
For student supervisees, include names, level (BA, BSc, MA, MSc, PhD, etc.), time period of supervision, type of supervision (theses, projects, internships, etc.), titles of theses, your role (supervisor, co-supervisor, committee member, etc.). This information can take the form of a table.
3. Evidence of teaching effectiveness:
This section presents a summary of evidence to help the reader evaluate the effectiveness of teaching. Information should include:
- numerical ratings on course evaluations for all courses taught, compared with department or faculty norms. The suggested format is a table, showing the ratings for each question on each course taught and the average ratings for the department or faculty.2 Summarize and interpret these results, showing how they shed light on your teaching effectiveness.
- evidence of effective postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate supervision, where applicable.
Other information could include:
- one intact set of students’ written comments on course evaluations;
- formal recognition of teaching accomplishment (e.g. teaching awards);
- comments from peer observers;
- unsolicited letters from alumni and students;
- invitations to teach due to reputation;
- example of a course outline from one course, but only if this sheds light on teaching effectiveness.
The following items can be included in Section 3 or Section 4:
- measures taken in response to feedback on teaching;
- evidence of progress in teaching the same course over time;
- description of teaching development and improvement efforts.
4. Teaching development and educational leadership (if applicable):
This section presents a summary of activities undertaken to develop and enhance teaching, particularly in the broader context. Information can include:
- development and sharing of teaching innovations, materials or strategies;
- advising and mentoring colleagues about teaching-related issues;
- TA mentoring (unless this is included under ‘Other contributions’ in the dossier);
- contributions through teaching support units, teaching committees, associations;
- organizing or facilitating seminars, workshops or conferences on teaching and learning;
- contributions to the development of policies on teaching and learning;
- teaching related publications –both discipline-specific and general.
B. Appendices (maximum 10 pages)
In order not to overwhelm the reader, only documents which support the discussion presented in the dossier should be appended. All appendices should be labeled clearly and explicitly referenced in the main dossier.