Awards of excellence in institutions of higher education: an AHP approach

This paper examines how institutions of higher education might operationalize faculty performance evaluation in terms of research, teaching, and university and community service. An analytic hierarchy process model is developed and presented, allowing decision makers to couple performance evaluation and academic reward awards and recognitions offered by institutions of higher education, and provides an objective way to compare faculty members. Weights are provided for each of the criteria in the evaluation process for a more objective outcome. Reward award systems might include promotion decisions, merit pay, tenure, long-term contracts, and annual reward awards of excellence in research, teaching or service. The model might be used to make judgment on the qualification of candidates for such systems, and could be used on the department level, college level, or university-wide level. In addition, the model could rank faculty members within each discipline or major. An illustrative example is provided of the model at the United Arab Emirates University.