Instructor and professor evaluations are, or should be, a privilege rather than a hassle for students.
Students shouldn’t take this privilege for granted by ignoring the College of Arts and Science’s new online system for evaluations.
It shouldn’t take a bribe, like a free iPod shuffle, to get students to take two minutes out of their day, go online and evaluate their professors.
Professors and administrators don’t ignore the evaluations. They consider them for salary increases, tenure considerations and overall performance reviews.
And many professors take them seriously in evaluating their own work and determining what changes, if any, they need to make to enhance learning for students.
All of that considered, we don’t think a few minutes online offering constructive criticism that will ultimately contribute to educational improvement is too much to ask.
Furthermore, it’s important for students to participate in the online evaluations so the work to move them online is not in vain.
The paperless efforts are to be commended. They make the evaluations faster. It saves money on thousands of sheets of paper, and students are more likely to take them seriously when they aren’t forced to do them in class.
But all of this is negated if students take the privilege for granted. Make sure you aren’t guilty of doing as much.
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Shana 3 years ago
The thing that surprises me most during eval time is that while plenty of students complain about various aspects of their classes and professors, very few bother to DO anything about it by giving feedback. To adapt the saying about not having the right to complain if you don't bother voting, you can't go complaining if you're not prepared to DO anything beyond that.