As the spring semester begins to fade and summer weather blooms, professors will finally quiet down and allow the students an opportunity to voice their opinions.
At the end of every semester, students are asked to complete Instruction and Course Evaluation System forms designed to give instructors and professors feedback on their teaching methods and course material from the people who know it best.
The system used by UNM was created in 1976, at the University of Illinois-Urbana. "These evaluations are important for course improvement, department decisions for promotions and tenure and feedback to aid students in choosing courses and faculty," said Chris Migotsky, educational specialist in the Division of Measurement and Evaluation.
Each year, the evaluation program at UNM receives requests for about 11,300 forms to be printed.
"Students don't realize how important these evaluations are for teachers," said Howard Smith, dean of the Anderson Schools of Management. "They are very significant and used in every evaluation through tenure."
Veda Goslar, UNM employee in charge of the evaluations, said the process to obtain evaluation statistics takes an entire year and requires the completion of large amounts of paperwork.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"Though the program is worthwhile, it can really improve," Goslar said. "It is possible to have the program be all Web-based. Students could fill out similar forms online from home or a computer lab -- the paperwork is overwhelming."
The survey process begins once instructors submit a request for the selection of specific questions. Instructors have the option to pick from a list of thousands of prepared questions they want their students to respond to. They then send those question requests back to the evaluations' office, where they are processed and returned to the instructor.
After students have filled out the forms, they are forwarded to the evaluations' office, where they are processed and results are mailed to the instructor and the department chairperson.
Despite the lengthy process, many still have concerns regarding the value of the evaluations.
"I have mixed feelings," said UNM anthropology professor Osbjorn Pearson. "They can potentially show what things to change for a better experience but are limited in the things they cover."
He added that open-ended questions are the most helpful in determining how to adjust course material and content.
Many students are unsure of the value of the evaluations and what impact, if any, they have on department decisions or the future of students.
"I never take them seriously, maybe I would if I heard that a teacher was up for tenure," said Frank Larson, a junior majoring in Media Arts. "I fill them out and I never hear about them again. I don't know if they even have an effect."
