Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) play an integral role in the advancement of Native Americans, yet research that focuses on TCUs and their students or faculty is limited. Considering the positive impact TCU faculty have on student success, it is worthwhile to explore how these faculty are supported in their work, primarily in their work as instructors. This qualitative phenomenological study explored TCU faculty perceptions of their institution’s faculty evaluation (FE) process with the intent of identifying FE practices faculty perceive to contribute to their development as instructors. The researcher conducted seven interviews with faculty representing five different TCUs across the Midwest. Five themes emerged from the data:
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- The FE process is important.
- Discontinuity exists between FE policy and practice.
- Faculty appreciate and desire qualitative feedback.
- Faculty prefer ongoing opportunities for evaluation.
- The FE process and associated practices should be informed by faculty input.
The findings illustrate that TCU faculty desire to grow in their roles as instructors, and they want to have a voice in the practices that are intended to support their development. For TCU leadership, these findings suggest a collaborative approach to the creation and implementation of FE could improve faculty perceptions of the process.