It’s only mid-October, but many of us are already thinking ahead to the end of the semester. Students may be anticipating Final Exams and tickets home, but I’m thinking about something a little different—course evaluations.
You might remember the old days of carbon-copy forms, sealed envelopes, and drop boxes in the Old Convent. Thankfully, we’ve moved to Brightspace for evaluations, saving us from those logistical headaches. No more setting aside class time, reading out scripted instructions, or finding that one student willing to trek across campus with a stack of forms. Now, it’s just a matter of reminding students (again and again) to log into Brightspace and click on the evaluation link.
But why am I thinking about this now, in the middle of October? At Xavier, not every course is evaluated every semester. Only first-year faculty have all of their courses evaluated; non-tenured faculty, after their first year, have two randomly selected courses evaluated each semester; tenured faculty only have one randomly selected class evaluated each year. However, faculty can request evaluations for any or all of their courses.
We recently received a reminder from the Provost that the deadline to request additional evaluations is Monday, October 21. You can submit your request here.
Why You Should Consider Requesting Evaluations
Since earning tenure, I’ve requested evaluations for most of my classes. Why? There are several reasons:
- Consistency: If one class is being evaluated, why not all? Having evaluations for all my courses provides a clearer, more comprehensive picture of my teaching performance.
- Certainty: What if my best class of the semester isn’t randomly selected? By requesting evaluations, I ensure I capture the most insightful feedback.
- Depth: The more evaluations I collect, the more data I have to work with. This richer dataset allows me to identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement over time.
Course evaluations offer valuable insights into our teaching. The more data we gather, the richer the story we can tell about our teaching journey. While I’m no data expert, even basic visualizations help me make sense of patterns. For instance, this chart compares my positive and negative responses over the years.
In addition to quantitative data, tools like ChatGPT can help summarize qualitative feedback. For example, I recently used it to analyze student comments on my strengths as a teacher. One recurring theme? Supportiveness and understanding. Students often appreciate how I listen to their concerns and adapt based on feedback.
What you do with the data is up to you, but one thing is clear: You can’t benefit from feedback you don’t collect. Whether you’re in your second year or your 18th or your 42nd, consider requesting evaluations for one or more of your classes this semester. The insights you gain might surprise you.