ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a review of the literature on evaluation of faculty development work. It then describes how Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) documents and evaluates its instructional development work and how it uses these inquiries to refine its practice and highlight the value the center brings to the university. The development of ‘‘guiding principles, clear goals and assessment procedures’’ is one of the best practices for creating and sustaining teaching centers. Most faculty development centers keep very good records on the number of people who attend their programs, probably because evidence of participation is necessary to justify existence of a program. Like all teaching centers, CRLT must market its services to administrators and faculty. Although documenting impact of teaching and learning centers is critical, the literature provides few comprehensive evaluation models for faculty development professionals to do so. Teaching centers play a key role on campus, and evaluation data can document their contributions most effectively.
