Action Plan for Participating Colleges

This page provides a general overview of the expectations for colleges participating in the web-based course evaluation program. For a list of specific tasks and due dates, see the Web-Based Course Evaluation Schedule.

Pre-Planning

  • Participating colleges are asked to identify a primary contact to coordinate implementation details for their college. Colleges may also be asked to identify a primary contact for each department. The primary contacts should have the authority to make policy decisions regarding evaluation instruments, courses and instructors to evaluate, and other aspects of the web-based course evaluation system.
  • Colleges are also asked to appoint a committee that is responsible for identifying issues and voicing concerns on behalf of the college, as well as recommending policy changes as needed. The committee is often comprised of the aforementioned primary contacts, but this is not required.
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning meets with the committee on a regular basis to discuss communication and training strategies that may help the college increase their response rates and improve faculty and student satisfaction with the web-based system.

Evaluation Instruments and Question Selection

  • Participating colleges are responsible for sending their paper-based evaluation instruments to the Center for Teaching and Learning approximately five weeks before the evaluation is scheduled to begin.
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning converts the paper-based instruments to web-based instruments, which are reviewed for accuracy by the college committees.
  • After feedback has been incorporated, the colleges sign off on the web-based evaluations that will be distributed to students.

Access to Reports

  • Participating colleges are reponsible for sending an organization chart to the Center for Teaching and Learning along with their paper-based evaluation instruments. The organization chart is used to identify department chairs, deans, and other administrative staff that need access to special reports at the college, department, or program level.
  • Faculty members are automatically granted access to their personal reports and do not need to be included in the organization chart unless they are a department chair or dean.
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning imports the organization chart into the web-based system, where it is reviewed for accuracy by the college committees.
  • After feedback has been incorporated, the colleges sign off on the reporting structure associated with the web-based evaluations.

Training

  • Training begins approximately one month before the evaluation is scheduled to begin. The organization chart is used to identify attendees, but colleges can identify other attendees as needed.
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning delivers training to faculty members, as well as department chairs, deans, and other administrative staff. The training is primarily focused on reporting and data analysis, but it may also include other relevant topics. For example, the Center for Teaching and Learning may partner with faculty members to offer workshops on developing survey items and constructing surveys.
  • In addition to training, the Center for Teaching and Learning has published extensive self-help documentation, including how-to guides and video tutorials describing how to access reports within the web-based system.
  • Colleges are encouraged to request additional topics for training or self-help documentation, as well as one-on-one or group consulations with Instructional Technology Consultants from the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Communication and Response Rates

  • The web-based course evaluation system sends a total of six messages to students regarding their evaluations. The initial communication is sent on the day the evaluation begins, notifying students that the evaluation is being conducted in the web-based system. Once the evaluation begins, four reminders are sent to students that have not completed their evaluations, and then a final reminder is sent on the day the evaluation ends.
  • In addition to reminder messages, the Center for Teaching and Learning partners with Student Affairs and Campus Labs to implement a multi-faceted communication and public relations campaign surrounding the web-based course evaluation system. Colleges are encouraged to provide feedback regarding the campaign, including suggesting specific techniques that would be particularly effective within their college.
  • Faculty members are encouraged to monitor response rates during the evaluation and supplement automated messages with personal reminders and encouragement to students.
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning also monitors response rates and works with college committees to customize the communication plan as needed.