Caitlin Leist
As registration rolls around, students can be found checking ratemyprofessor.com more often than their Facebook accounts.
But starting next semester, students will have a more reliable way of selecting professors: FUSA will be publishing the quantitative evaluation forms students fill out at the end of the semester.
The statistics gathered from the evaluations will be published in The Mirror coinciding with the registration period and will also be available on the FUSA Web site.’
‘We’re doing this to help students make better decisions in choosing classes,’ said FUSA President Jeff Seiser ’10. ‘This will help students improve their education, which is everything the Fairfield strategic plan is about.”
The results of the evaluations were published in the past but inexplicably stopped in 1993. It is University policy that evaluations are public information unless the professor checks the box not to release it on the envelope of the evaluations.’
In the future, FUSA plans on creating online faculty pages with their evaluation results, past syllabi and required texts. This information on the Web site would only be accessible by entering a Stagcard ID number.
Many students are already reacting enthusiastically to the idea of publishing evaluation results online.
‘It would be a better way to decide if I want to take a class than using ratemyprofessor.com,’ said Anthony Parisi ’09. ‘These evaluations are done by everyone in the class, which makes it more valid.’
Monique Gordon ’10 agreed that publishing evaluations could be helpful, not only for students but also for the teachers.
‘Publishing professors’ poor evaluation scores might be mean, but it also might motivate them to improve their teaching techniques,’ she said.
FUSA hopes the transparency of the results will encourage students to take the evaluations more seriously.’
‘Another important factor is that teacher salaries are merit-based,’ said FUSA Senator Frank Spizzoucco ’10. ‘We want students to take time filling out the evaluations because it has a direct monetary impact on the professor.”
Professors have mixed opinions on having their evaluations published. Some feel that the information, since it influences their promotions, should be kept confidential.
‘If a faculty member develops a course for the first time or tries something innovative that the students aren’t ready for, it could reflect negatively in the evaluations,’ said Janie Leatherman, director of the international studies department. ‘If professors knew it would be published, they might be less willing to take risks.’
Marcie Patton, associate professor of politics, does not object to publishing the results, but feels students need to read the statistics with caution, as sometimes the evaluations can be based like a popularity contest, rather than purely on academic integrity.
‘There is the issue of gender bias in the evaluations,’ said Patton. ‘For example, what does enthusiastic mean?’ Should I sit on my desk and crack jokes or show a serious interest in the subject matter?
‘However, I wouldn’t mind the results being public,’ she added. ‘I think a professor’s popularity goes by word-of-mouth anyway.’
James Shanahan, chair of the communication department, agreed.
‘I wouldn’t have any problems with it,’ he said.
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