To ensure valid evaluations, departments should appoint a departmental committee to devise formal methods for evaluating teaching and curriculum-related performance. All members of the department should be involved in selecting these formal methods. The department chair4 has the responsibility for seeing that these methods for evaluation are implemented. Sum contributions to, and participation in, the achievement of departmental goals, such as achieving reasonable retention of students Sum contributions to the development and delivery of collaborative, interdisciplinary, university studies, extended studies, and interinstitutional educational programs Sum teaching and mentoring students and others in how to obtain access to information resources so as to further student, faculty, and community research and learning Sum grant proposals and grants for the development of curriculum or teaching methods and techniques Sum professional development as related to instruction, e.g., attendance at professional meetings related to a faculty member's areas of instructional expertise Sum honors and awards for teaching 4. A significant factor in determining a faculty member's advancement is the individual's accomplishments in community outreach when such activities are part of a faculty member's responsibilities.
Scholars can draw on their professional expertise to engage in a wide array of community outreach.
Such activities can include defining or resolving relevant local, national, or international problems or issues. Community outreach also includes planning literary or artistic festivals or celebrations. PSU highly values quality community outreach as part of faculty roles and responsibilities.5 The setting of Portland State University affords faculty many opportunities to make their expertise useful to the community outside the University. Community based activities are those which are tied directly to one's special field of knowledge. Such activities may involve a cohesive series of activities contributing to the definition or resolution of problems or issues in society .