Provost Joe Wood introduced a plan late last week to increase the use of peer review in the classroom among faculty members.
“It means here’s a wakeup call to remind us that along with the rights we have to frame our courses is a responsibility,” said Wood, who had a message distributed to faculty members last Friday.
The move comes in response to an outcry from USM’s students of color that the University needs to do more to educate its faculty on dealing with diversity inside the classroom. A group of students held a forum two weeks ago to voice their concerns after allegations surfaced that a psychology professor made racist remarks in class. But participants at the forum said the issue extends beyond that one professor’s classroom.
Though the specifics haven’t been worked out, Wood’s plan calls for faculty members to be more involved with each other’s classes. He said this already takes place with junior faculty members, but it needs to be expanded into the senior faculty as well.
“The big change is the emphasis on peer review, peer evaluation and peer interaction,” said Wood. “This is not meant to be punitive. It’s just a communication that says, ‘Hey, let’s not lose the moment.'”
Wood said beginning next fall faculty members will attend each other’s class on a more regular basis and sometimes be asked to review each other’s syllabi and help develop course content.
“There will be a little resistance, that’s why I don’t want to be heavy-handed about it,” said Wood. “I’m not trying to tell them how to do it or exactly when it has to be done.”
He said he prefers peer review to mandating diversity sensitivity training offered by the University.
“Training tends to imply that somehow you’re delivered information and then you’re better,” said Wood. “Learning is really digesting it and understanding.”
Wood said he believes peer review leads to real learning. But he said there’s always room for growth.
“I’m not going to guarantee to you that improved instruction means no one is going to say something to you that they wish they hadn’t said,” he said.
He also said many of the faculty have already taken the initiative in this matter.
“There are scores of faculty who are very committed to change and already doing lots of things at the level of their own individual courses.”
Executive Editor Steve Peoples can be contacted at: [email protected]