Don,

Here at the Air Force Academy, most faculty are satisfied with our student
evaluation process (social sciences more than others).  In the early 90s we
developed an in-house form, adapted from one the U. of Washington had.  You
can access our forms and a lot of what we have on our home page
www.usafa.af.mil .  Once there, click through the following: Dean ...
Departments ... Directorate of Education...Academic Assessments.  I've
discussed this with our POC, Major Marie Revak, and she'd be happy to
discuss it some more if you'd like.

We have NO "demographic" questions; though one recent survey did break out
instructors by gender and military/civilian.  We do not ask GPA or
required/elective course.

We have not made a deliberate effort to get more/longer/better comments.  We
are considering  having students submit their critiques "on line" (rather
than in class) and some experimenting suggests that this may result in:
fewer, longer, better, and more critical comments.

We use several other means to evaluate teaching:  microteaching sessions in
many departments; student focus groups; class observations by other faculty;
and Quick Course Diagnosis sessions (I'm attaching a PowerPoint presentation
on this).

If you'd like more, please go back to our home page, under "Directorate of
Education" and click on "Publications," then "Educator."  This is our
in-house faculty development publication.  Check out in "Fall 98" one called
"Got a Minute?  Do Assessments."  And in Winter 99 check two:  "The What and
Why of Assessment," and "Ten Ways to get Feedback on Your Teaching."

The Air Force Academy was recently designated as a "Leadership Institution"
in undergraduate education by the Association of American Colleges &
Universities.  Our Center for Educational Excellence is certainly one of the
main reasons for this.

I hope this helps.

John Hertel

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Mayer [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2001 6:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Student Evaluations - Demographic Data


We are (finally) re-evaluating our form for student evaluation of faculty
teaching.  A couple of questions:

1.    Are you at a school where the faculty is generally pleased with the
form that is in use? If so,

2.    What kinds of "demographic" questions has your school found useful?
E.g., does it provide you with useful data to ask about (a) gender, (b) age,
(c) race or ethnicity, (d) other?  And has it been statistically useful to
ask about grade point average, whether the course is required, and what the
student's grade expectations are?

3.    Has there been a deliberate effort to increase the amount and quality
of student comments on evaluation forms (and has it worked)?  (We've noticed
here that the comments have been declining in number and length in the past
ten years.)

I would also like to hear from anyone whose institution consistently uses
other means of evaluating teaching effectiveness in a way that the faculty
finds satisfactory.

Please respond to ALSB talk or send an email to me at [log in to unmask]  I
will share all responses.  Many thanks.

Don Mayer
Oakland University