Senate Advisory Committee on Student Course Feedback Update

Senate Meeting January 11, 2021 Update on the Senate Advisory Committee on Student Course Feedback (SACSCF) Maureen Mathison, Chair, SACSCF Pat Tripeny, Director, CTLE Adam Halstrom, Program Manager, Student Feedback, CTLE

Recent History of the Instrument Prior to 2017, the Committee conducted focus groups with students and town halls with faculty, gathering information relevant to creating a new instrument. As the committee is charged with managing and updating the instrument, it is considered a living document. Based on the data, a draft of a new instrument was designed.

2017 The prior chair met with the Senate Faculty Review Standards Committee (SFRSC) to consult with them about the draft. At that time two additional questions were added to the instrument: 1) Would you recommend this course and 2) Would you recommend this instructor? 2017-2018 The SACSCF Committee, with a new chair, met monthly for further input on the instrument, and to create a plan for implementation, including townhalls and workshops, if a department requested one. Two additional questions were added for the purpose of helping the instructor interpret the responses: 1) Why did you enroll in the course? and 2) I applied myself to the course. The SACSCF committee chair contacted the chair of the SFRSC on several occasions but received no response. A copy of the instrument was included in those communications. 2019 The Senate approved the instrument at the April 2019 meeting.

2019-2020 The SACSCF Committee met regularly in the Fall to create a Request for Proposals(RFP) that would fulfill the criteria for a successful vendor. The RFP was sent out, and in January- April, meetings were held with prospective vendors. In June, a vendor was selected. From July 2020 until recently, the instrument has been designed for implementation by the program manager for the student feedback. 2021: January The SACSCF Committee reports to the Senate about progress and implementation.

Implementation 2021 Spring semester the instrument will be implemented across campus. Town halls will be held in February for Deans, Chairs, and Program Directors. Meeting will be held with Associate Deans in February. Town hall will be held with students in early April. Messaging will be sent to instructors and students throughout March and April about completing the instrument. Instrument is available to students starting in January for courses that end then, and again at the end of each session (March and April). June-August an analysis of the old and the new instruments will be conducted with select courses. The committee is available for questions and assistance throughout the spring.

Additional Information about SACSCF and University Policy Purpose The [SACSCF] Committee s primary functions shall be as more fully described in Policy 6-100-III-N, Course Assessment and Feedback (course evaluations), including evaluation and provision of input and oversight on the development and revision of course feedback instrument(s), report form(s), and procedure(s), which shall be presented to the Academic Senate for approval. Full evaluation of student course feedback forms, report forms, and administration procedures will be reported to the Academic Senate every four years. The Committee shall confer with the Senate Faculty Review Standards Committee and relevant administrators regarding the use of course feedback results in conjunction with reviews of teaching performance of faculty members and non-faculty instructional personnel (Policies 6-303 and 6-310). The Committee shall report to the Senate at least annually regarding its activities.

FUNCTION Course Assessment and Feedback (course evaluations) The University will assess its courses and instruction in multiple ways, including by soliciting students' feedback. Student feedback has several uses: it provides information of interest to students planning their programs of study, it is useful in making improvements in instruction and curricula, and it provides a student perspective on teaching for evaluations of course instructors. See also Policy 6- 400-II-C (Student Code, students' rights regarding evaluations of faculty members). The Committee's primary function shall be to evaluate and provide input and oversight for the development and revision (as necessary) of standardized "Student Course Feedback Instrument(s), "and standardized "Course Feedback Report(s)." The instrument(s) and report forms shall be designed to be suitable for use in all credit-bearing courses, of both undergraduate and graduate levels. The Committee shall also develop appropriate procedures for the administration of instrument(s) and report forms (and other appropriate publication of the resulting data). In evaluating, developing, and periodically revising instrument(s) and report forms and procedures, the Committee shall solicit and consider input from the chairpersons of all course-offering units. The Committee shall confer with the Senate Faculty Review Standards Committee and relevant administrators regarding the use of course feedback results in conjunction with reviews of teaching performance of faculty members and non-faculty instructional personnel (Policies 6-303 and 6-310). The instrument(s), report form(s) and procedures shall be presented to the Academic Senate for approval. The instrument(s), report form(s), and procedures will be continuously evaluated by the Committee. Reports on the evolution of the instrument(s), report form(s), and procedures, as well as any proposed revisions, shall be presented to the Academic Senate every four years.

Uses of the Instrument Course feedback for individual courses, including all collected data, shall be made available to course instructors, and appropriate administrators of the course-offering unit after grades for the course are filed. An appropriate set of data for a given course shall be made available to any University student, as determined appropriate in the standard Report form and Procedures approved as described above. The Student Advisory Committee of the course-offering unit, after meeting pertinent training requirements, shall be provided with an appropriate set of feedback data for individual courses for specified purposes of carrying out approved functions of such Advisory Committees, as determined appropriate in the Procedures approved as described above.

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