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A strong faculty, rich in human capital, can be a school's best resource— but managing that resource requires administrators to understand its value. tations, managing projects, conducting their own research, and working efficiently in teams. Creativity and innovation (0.20)—Although creativity and innovation are among the factors used to assess quality in research, here they are used to determine how the professor's creativity directly benefits the school. How does he or she use innovation to enhance learning in the individual course, to meet overall objectives in the program, and to improve strate- gic reflection in the school? For instance, a professor might be innovative in a course by adding an e-learning component and innovative in a program by creating a new academic spe- cialization. Projects in alignment with the strategic objectives of the school will be appraised positively in this area. Filling in the Blanks For each appraisal factor, a professor can receive a score of between 0 and 2, rising in increments of half a point. This scale allows for just enough differentiation between scores to enable deans to evaluate their faculty. However, administra- tors can choose to measure in other intervals—increments of 0.2, for example. Obviously, the school should determine in advance what standards it will use to measure its faculty's per- formance and maintain these standards over time. If a professor receives high marks from students for how the course is delivered, he or she might receive a score of 1.5 on course delivery. If no research has been conducted over the period appraised, the professor would receive a "0" on that factor. Ultimately, the score will be multiplied by the overall weighting coefficient to determine the final measure of the professor's performance. The chart on the previous page shows a sample scorecard filled out for Professor Trudeau. Because she does well in some areas that the school values, such as maintaining corpo- rate contacts, her overall score is above average despite the fact that she fares poorly in the category of conducting research. If administrators want to determine what intellectual value Professor Trudeau adds to the school, at the end of the pay period they will multiply her overall coefficient—which is 1.225—by the cost of her employment. For example, assume the employment cost of Professor Trudeau is $100,000 during this pay period. Her value to the school will be $100,000 x 1.225, or $122,500. If school adminis- trators want to compare her value to her cost, they should subtract her cost from her value. In this case, her value is $122,500 - $100,000, or $22,500. Some schools might use this figure to determine whether the professor is adding or subtracting value over the course of her career. As long as the appraisal factors remain con- stant, the Faculty Appraisal Scorecard will allow the school to make comparisons over time. Scorecard Benefits Faculty Appraisal Scorecards may be completed during annu- al appraisals, at the end of academic years or course semesters, or at any other time that seems appropriate for the school. It is nevertheless important to ensure that the appraisal system remains consistent so that administrators can make long-term comparisons of a professor's performance. Depending on the needs of the school, administrators can decide whether they want faculty to continue to develop in their strongest areas or work to improve in their weakest areas. Not only can the Appraisal Scorecard measure the progress of individual professors, it also can measure how well whole departments are meeting the school's strategic mission. The scorecard will help deans pinpoint their future objectives and work toward achieving them by asking professors to gain strengths in those areas. By helping schools meet their overall missions, the Faculty Appraisal Scorecard gives them an edge in a competitive market. It's essential, however, to avoid using appraisals to rank one professor against another, since a school's strategic objec- tive should not be to produce a staff of professors who are equally skilled in everything. Instead, its aim should be to develop a faculty with diverse expertise who can bounce ideas off each other and share their knowledge as they improve their skills. In this way, they will be adding value both to the school and to their colleagues. It's true that the Faculty Appraisal Scorecard favors a top- down approach. The school's administrators determine which factors are important and how the professor is to be appraised according to each one. Nonetheless, the scorecard can become a tool for professors as well, because it offers them recognition for their work and helps them identify areas in which they should seek improvement. In the highly competitive field of management education, it's important that governors and administrators know where their assets lie and what their greatest strengths are. A strong faculty, rich in human capital, can be a school's best re- source—but managing that resource requires administrators to understand its value. A Faculty Appraisal Scorecard is just one tool deans can use to keep their schools competitive, pro- ductive, and focused on their missions. s z D. A. Osborn is professor and head of the Management and Strategy Department of the Ecole Supérieure du Commerce Extérieur, Pole Uni versi - taire de Léonard de Vinci in Paris, France. BizEd JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006 41