Faculty Handbook

Student Public Evaluation System

Last updated: 10/24/2000

V. INSTRUCTION (Cont.)

The policy on the Student Public Evaluation System provides an opportunity for students to have access to a range of information regarding courses and instructors in order to make more informed decisions in selecting courses.  It is separate and distinct from the SIRS policy (above) and is intended for different purposes: whereas the results of the SOCT forms will be public, results of the SIRS forms are intended to be confidential and are used as one tool for faculty evaluation.  This statement was approved by the Academic Council on October 24, 2000.

Students at Michigan State University have an interest in being able to make informed judgments in selecting courses and faculty members as students pursue their academic programs.  To this end, the University Committee on Academic Policy has framed a set of questions that should provide the type of information that students seek.  In order to facilitate the transmission of this information to the students, the following procedures are established:

  1. In addition to using standard university or unit-based SIRS forms in every class each semester in compliance with the Student Instructional Rating System policy, faculty members at the rank of instructor or above, and specialists who are assigned to teach, shall administer a standard form (Student Opinion of Courses and Teaching1 ) in all of their regular undergraduate classes.
  2. The SOCT forms shall be administered within the last two weeks of classes.  Instructors should leave the room until the forms have been completed and collected.  The forms should be collected by a neutral party, turned in to a predetermined location, and not accessible to the instructor until grades are submitted.
  3. Results will be disseminated in summary form, displayed by instructor and department, once per year through a Web site accessible to students and other members of the University community with the appropriate identification.

Footnotes:

1 Forms are available in the Scoring Office, 114 Computer Center, telephone 355-1819.

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