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With 1997 marking the first-year of publication of faculty ratings, the significance of student evaluations demands examination. Without in-depth analysis, professors will continue to use generalizations and half-truths to keep evaluations out of the process.
On Nov. 1, the Arizona Board of Regents convened to discuss the future of post-tenure reviews. During the meeting, one of the heated issues addressed was student evaluations.
The movement toward increased student feedback is widely supported by students and regents. They claim that the inclusion of student evaluations in decisions of pre- and post-tenure faculty positions is necessary to make informed judgments. Jennifer Franklin, coordinator for faculty evaluation, says, "[student evaluations] are an essential part of any reasonable, comprehensive evaluation system."
Some faculty members, however, oppose the movement. Opponents fear that students may not take the evaluations seriously and therefore rate teachers on superficial terms. Suddenly, professors' choices of tie color or hair style may affect how students evaluate their performance. Professors also fear that the system may constrict their teaching styles. Teachers who deliver more challenging curricula may be castigated by disgruntled students. Most importantly, the published evaluations would not rate the content of classes. Theoretically, a telegenic professor could teach underwater basket-weaving in his fine arts class and still receive high marks on his delivery.
While these fears are understandable, research shows that they are unfounded. Franklin says, "There is 40 years of research to support the position that student ratings are a proper and reliable source of data. Enough students are taking it seriously to make it usable."
Research also has shown that the difficulty of classes does not correlate to negative student feedback. And while a professor's personality may affect his ratings, the reason usually lies in a more interesting, vibrant class environment and not superficialities. So you professors who planned on sporting dreads or wearing beanies to reap bonus points will have to wait until that ASU transfer comes in.
Until then, student evaluations must remain an essential component in faculty hiring and firing. The question revolves around how much weight these ratings deserve.
Most students want them to possess as much significance as possible. After all, students are exposed to professors more than anyone else. A review committee never learns a teacher's material, takes his tests or asks for help outside of the classroom. Students are the ones most affected by a professor's performance and feel rightfully upset when their voice is ignored.
However, many administrators are weary of granting student evaluations too much power. Extolling student ratings as the ultimate measure of a professor's performance is going too far. Students never see a professor's pre-lecture preparation or the work done outside the classroom. Franklin says that while student ratings are useful, "they are never adequate alone."
The optimum approach lies somewhere in between. While students should not wield omnipotent power in faculty decisions, disregarding student evaluations is analogous to ignoring a patient's claims of sickness. The students may not know how to fix the problem, but they can certainly point where it hurts.
Editoral Staff
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