The LACT Report Appeals Process
The Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine is committed to creating an optimal learning environment for all learners.
Each year, we distribute Learner Assessment of Clinical Teachers (LACT) reports to help teachers reflect on their teaching. This page details the appeals progress. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact us.
On this Page
- Who can Appeal?
- The Appeals Review Committee
- Possible Outcomes
- The Appeals Process
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who can Appeal?
All teachers who feel that that their reports did not accurately reflect their teaching can formally appeal their evaluations. Each year, after LACT reports are distributed, the appeals process is opened.
The Appeals Review Committee
Our Appeals Review Committee convenes annually to adjudicate and review applications regarding submitted appeal requests. The committee is made up of a chair, two trainee representatives and one faculty representative.
Download the Appeals Review Committee's Terms of Reference
Possible Outcomes
The committee meets in February and March to review all applications. There are four possible outcomes:
- Deny the appeal.
- Remove one or more complete evaluation forms.
- Remove one or more complete evaluation forms and delete other comments from the LACT form.
- Only delete comments on the LACT form but retain all other data including evaluation scores and other comments.
Please note that the committee's decision is final.
The Appeals Process
Step One
Each fall, LACT reports are distributed to site chiefs for distribution to teachers. LACT reports are developed by the Postgraduate Medical Education Office. These reports are an aggregate of teaching evaluations across various platforms Elentra and POWER (postgraduate trainees), and MedSIS (undergraduate learners). Didn't get a LACT Report? Individual reports are only generated for faculty who received three or more assessments.
Step Two
Once the LACT Reports are shared, the department's Appeals Review Committee invites educators to begin the appeals process. All teachers have the right to appeal comments and/or scores in their LACT Report.
Step Three
Educators have until early January to submit their appeal. The department will share a portal where teachers may confidentially submit their documents.
Step Four
The Appeals Committee begins their review in late January of each year. The committee chair will assign appellants to a committee member, and distribute raw data collected from Elentra, POWER and MedSIS (provided by the department) as well as the appellant’s submission. Committee members are not allowed to review submissions from their own sites and if any conflicts of interest are identified, the package is reassigned.
Step Five
The committee meets in February and March to review all applications. Read about the possible outcomes.
Step Six
The committee's decisions are shared with the department’s Chair, Vice-Chair of Education and then with the respective appellants, and their site chiefs. These decisions are typically shared in late winter or early spring. Remember, the committee’s decision is final.
Step Seven
Finally, the decisions are shared with the Postgraduate Medical Education Office, which is responsible for generating new LACT forms based on the outcome of the appeals. Successful teachers are notified when the new LACT forms are ready.
Take it with you: Download our Infographic
Frequently Asked Questions
Who receives a LACT Report? Why didn't I get one?
A. Only faculty who receive three or more assessments in Elentra, POWER, or MedSIS will get a LACT Report.
What can be appealed in a LACT Report?
You can appeal any comments included in your LACT report.
What are good grounds for an appeal?
Common grounds for an appeal include:
- Retaliatory or harsh evaluations.
- Comments that are not in keeping with a teacher's past evaluations. For example, if a teacher consistently receives positive feedback but suddenly receives very negative comments.
- Unprofessional remarks (personal attacks, commenting on a teacher's clinical skills rather than their teaching efforts).
- Comments have been incorrectly attributed or the teacher was misidentified.
When is the deadline to submit an appeal?
The committee will communicate the deadline each year. However, it is typically in early January.
Can I appeal the committee's decision?
No. The committee's decisions are final.