After nearly five months of preparation by two University Senate committees, the new online course evaluations are set to launch next month.
Fast Facts
The proposed revised questions are as follows:
? What was the quality of the instructor’s teaching?
? What was the quality of this course?
? How well organized was this course (e.g. syllabus, schedule)?
? How effective was the instructor’s use of class time?
? How available was the instructor for communication outside of class (e.g. during posted office hours)?
? How clear were the guidelines for grading students in this course?
? How much did you learn in this course?
This term’s online evaluations will feature the same questions as always. Beginning spring term, the evaluations will include three additional questions. But before that can happen, the University Senate must approve a motion at its March 12 meeting to solidify the questions, at which point each department will create department-specific questions.
The nine-day evaluation period begins Friday, March 4. As an added incentive, students who fill out evaluations will be able to view their course grades during finals week, provided the professor has submitted the final grades. Students who would rather not fill out the evaluations may decline to do so on the Web site, and it is considered participation.
Course evaluations consist of two types of questions: qualitative, those that require written comments, and quantitative, for which students rate classes and professors on a scale of responses ranging from “exceptional” to “unsatisfactory.” Pending the University Senate’s approval, beginning spring term evaluations will feature three new quantitative questions.
Mathematics professor Brad Shelton is a member of the evaluations committee. He said the new evaluations will be more comprehensive and more beneficial to students, faculty and administrators.
“In every way it will be an improvement over the old system,” Shelton said. The paperless system will cost less to operate, and Shelton said access to evaluation results will still be readily available to students, if not more so.
“We’re working really hard to try and make sure that the access to that information is really easy and smooth,” Shelton said.
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The revisions began with psychology professor Bertram Malle’s motion with revised questions at November’s Senate meeting. Senators expressed concern that the questions were still too convoluted and ambiguous. Because evaluations affect faculty promotion and tenure, concern revolved around administrative issues. A second Senate ad hoc committee modified the original motion questions, and Malle said the final questions are more psychologically meaningful with more consistent response options.
“That required some discussion that I think has been very successfully completed,” said Malle. “I think that the concern should be removed now.”
Zoe Roman is a student representative on the evaluations committee. She said students should be more than satisfied with the new evaluations and the accessibility they will create.
“Currently, student access to the course evaluation information is not well-known and not many students actually use the data,” Roman said via e-mail. “With the new system in place, the data will be much easier to access.”
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