At the end of every semester, we students do work in class that is not on any syllabus. We spend a lot of time and thought filling out evaluations of courses we have taken. We consider the task to be a serious one, and we think the information we provide in these evaluations is important.
But even though we do all the work, we see none of the results. The way it is now, faculty members are the only ones with access to student evaluation information. While professors undoubtedly take away useful knowledge from seeing evaluations, it is preposterous that students are not allowed to do the same. Having access to what our peers say about particular classes and professors would be an extremely valuable tool in deciding just what classes to take when registration rolls around.
This is not to say that we merely want to take classes that have easy workloads and professors with reputations as “easy graders”-such an argument is an insult to the student body. Students take classes seriously; it is our education at Fairfield that is preparing us for the “real” world. Do some students try to take easy classes with light workloads? Of course. But should the rest of us be punished for the lackadaisical attitudes of a few? Of course not.
During last year’s FUSA elections, one of the main tenets of Kevin Neubauer’s platform was making professor evaluations available to students. Neubauer was given a mandate by a majority of the students to implement his platform. The Mirror is delighted that Neubauer took on such an important issue, but it is important for him to implement his promises.
Obviously, the point of having students evaluate professors and classes is slightly nullified when students can’t actually see their own evaluations. The system as it is now is not conducive to students making better, more knowledgeable choices about course selection. It is important for Neubauer and FUSA to fight for the student body for a better system. It is on the merits of their performance with respect to issues like these that truly define good student government, not just high attendance at “make your own butt shorts night.”
The editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Mirror Editorial Board. What is your opinion? Write to use: commentary@fairfieldmirror.com
Leave a Reply