Teaching surveys will be open Nov. 21 to Dec. 11. Student feedback provides unique insights about the class climate and individual learning experiences. There are several steps faculty can take to increase student engagement and improve the quality of feedback.

• Verify that a survey is scheduled by going to the teaching survey dashboard. If no surveys are listed, let us know.
• Add custom questions to solicit targeted feedback about specific course components, teaching behaviors, or follow-up on changes that were made based on midterm feedback. Faculty can go directly to their teaching survey dashboard or refer to our instructions. We also have examples and tips for writing survey questions.
• Discuss with students why feedback is important, how it’s used (including examples), and how to give meaningful feedback.
• Schedule time between Nov. 21 and Dec. 11 for students to complete surveys in class.
• Post announcements in Canvas and send personal reminders.

Results from fall surveys will be available after Dec. 21 as final grades are posted. We have resources for interpreting and using results to improve teaching and faculty can schedule a meeting with a teaching consultant who can help develop a plan.

Research has shown that several factors should be considered when using student evaluations of teaching in promotion, tenure, and annual reviews. Other measures such as peer observations, review of teaching materials, and faculty self-assessments should be combined with student feedback data to measure teaching effectiveness.