Ratings: Better Use of Student Evaluations for Teaching Effectiveness

In introducing material on performance appraisals in the junior/senior personnel managem nt classes that I teach, I always ask this question. "How many of you [students] have ever formally evaluated someone's per formance in writing?" Seldom do more than a half dozen hands go up from forty or more students. When asked whether or not they have ever filled out a teacher evaluation form, of course, all hands go up. It is an alarming thought that students complete teacher evalua tions and do not associate this activity with appraising performance. It is even more alarming when one realizes that these students are juniors and seniors, and have been evaluating their professors' performances for at least the last two years. As performance appraisals, teacher evaluations are used to make career decisions regarding faculty mem bers. Teacher evaluations are considered in reappoint ment, promotion, and tenure decisions. These teacher evaluations should be handled in a professional manner, or problems such as inconsistency or halo effect may result. Sometimes the scores are the results of variables beyond the control of the faculty member. Yet the scores count in determining whether a professor is out standing, excellent, good, or average as an instructor. I would offer some suggestions for modifying the use of student-teacher evaluations to improve teaching ef fectiveness. It is just possible that better use of teacher evaluations will enable the students to do a better job of performance appraisal and enable the professor to feel more comfortable with the process.