In Fall 2014, UOG changed the way it administers student evaluations of courses and faculty. Initially conducted on a paper-and-pencil format, the evaluations were changed to an online system called CollegeNet. Since this conversion, response rates for evaluations have declined, which leaves some in the University alarmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem is now that it\u2019s become electronic, students aren\u2019t doing it,\u201d said James Sellmann, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.<\/p>\n

Sellmann estimates that student response rates prior to the change averaged between 90 to 95 percent. Reports from 2014 to 2017 show that figure has dropped to 45 percent.<\/p>\n

According to Sellmann, the information from student feedback is used for annual increment and promotion and tenure purposes.<\/p>\n

\u201cProfessors seem to be getting slightly lower scores now than they used to,\u201d he said. This could be a problem for instructors seeking advancement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re going to have to push more for the electronic version,\u201d Sellmann said.<\/p>\n

Jose Cruz, an English instructor at UOG said, \u201cWhen I was part-time, I would push it [student participation] and say when I become full-time, I can use that as evidence to become full-time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cruz said he uses evaluation results to improve his teaching methods and syllabi course content, as do many other English instructors. But if the decrease in student participation persists, the value of what few responses there are is questionable.<\/p>\n

Georgiana Quintanilla, an art major who has attended UOG for five years, has experienced both written and electronic versions.<\/p>\n

When asked if she continued to participate in the online evaluations, she replied, \u201cNot always\u2014simply because I or the instructor wasn\u2019t concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Quintanilla finds the online evaluations easier to do and has witnessed instructors improve their teaching methods based on the feedback she provided in the evaluations she did complete.<\/p>\n

Cruz gives fellow instructors a possible approach to achieving higher response rates. If his students do not participate in the evaluations, he takes them to the computer lab to complete the evaluations.<\/p>\n

Considering the many factors that are affected by student participation, all university instructors may want to take a page out of Cruz\u2019s book.<\/p>\n

Anita Borja Enriquez, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs said, \u201cConducting evaluations during class time improves participation rates.\u201d She encourages this to faculty.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be good if the students took it seriously and recognize that we really do use it,\u201d Sellmann said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Fall 2014, UOG changed the way it administers student evaluations of courses and faculty. Initially conducted on a paper-and-pencil format, the evaluations were changed to an online system called CollegeNet. Since this conversion, response rates for evaluations have declined, which leaves some in the University alarmed. \u201cThe problem is now that it\u2019s become electronic, … <\/p>\n

Read more “Faculty evaluation response rates at a decline”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":2614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,3,7,12],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[267],"yoast_head":"\n