After finding students’ biases impacted how they evaluated their professors, University of Oregon researchers developed a new Student Experience Survey to replace course evaluations. The UO Office of the Registrar implemented the new system starting fall term. 

Under the previous course evaluation system, students rated their professors on a number scale across several topics. Multiple peer-reviewed studies have shown that this method, called Student Evaluation of Teaching, is prone to under-rate women and people of color. One study even suggests the SET method is a greater measure of students’ biases than it is of professors’ effectiveness.

Another issue with the previous course evaluations was anonymity. Until last school year, if a student wanted their professor’s department leadership to see an evaluation, the student had to sign the document. That policy conflicted with Oregon state law, which dictates that students who perform SETs must be anonymous, according to a letter sent to the Senate by the UO General Counsel’s Office.

To address the shortcomings of the previous system, the UO Senate adopted a measure to create a task force to evaluate both SETs and peer reviews in which professors rate one another’s abilities, according to Senate documents. Professor Bill Harbaugh, then-president of the Senate, assembled the task force including Sierra Dawson, now associate vice provost of academic affairs. Together they developed the new Student Experience Survey, according to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

RELATED: “Faculty senate aims to combat racist and sexist course evaluations“

Harbaugh and Dawson designed the Student Experience Survey to be more helpful to professors than the strict number ranking of previous course evaluations. The survey’s questions provide feedback on a range of aspects including course organization, level of challenge and inclusivity. Students categorize each element as one of three options: beneficial, neutral or in need of improvement. Students may also identify which aspect was most beneficial and most in need of improvement.

Another change is that, under the previous system, students had to fill out end-of-term evaluations before they could access their grades. The evaluations are no longer required.

The new system also standardizes peer reviews among teaching staff. Though professors within each department already reviewed one another’s performance under the old system, the new system includes a worksheet to minimize biases and spread best practices already in use in various UO departments.

Further, the Senate approved an instructor reflection similar to the end-of-term SES. The instructor reflection includes questions on how professors created an inclusive environment in the classroom and encouraged student engagement.

According to the Office of the Registrar, the winter term end reviews will open for students on Monday, March 9 and close that Friday, March 13. Students may fill them out on DuckWeb.