Course Evaluations by Students
To determine how well courses meet educational objectives and to help instructors make improvements and refinements in course material and presentation, the GSD conducts student evaluations of all courses at the conclusion of each term. The evaluations are administered by the departmental offices. Faculty members must allow time during one of the last classes for students to complete the evaluations.
The course evaluation form consists of two parts. The first section consists of multiple choice questions. The answers are compiled for each course and summarized. At the beginning of the next academic year, the summary sheets for each course in which at least five and more than 50 percent of the enrolled students completed forms are made available to all students. These summary sheets may be referenced during reviews for appointment, reappointment, or promotion of faculty. The second part of the course evaluation form consists of written statements that are confidential and to which only the instructor and the department chair have access, and occasionally the associate dean for academic services. Instructors will not be permitted to see the student evaluations until after the submission of final grades for the course. (An Incomplete is considered a final grade in this instance.)
It is understood that the department chairs and the dean will not use specific quantitative or numerical distinctions in evaluation scores as significant criteria in making recommendations for appointment, reappointment, or promotion. However, effectiveness in teaching is one of the legitimate criteria in decisions about appointments, reappointments, and promotions; therefore, department chairs or the dean may draw upon their knowledge of the overall patterns of evaluation of an instructor, in addition to other relevant factors, in making recommendations. In doing so, however, they will use this knowledge with the full understanding that some academic subjects, by their nature, are likely to be less popular than others with students.