COMMUNITY UPDATE: Complete your end-of-course evaluations today
Every semester the tables turn and it’s the students who grade the teachers. End-of-course evaluations are made available to students less than a month before the semester ends. I am a senior at the university and while I’ve had numerous opportunities to ‘grade’ my teachers, I never really understood the importance or reasoning behind it – until now. I am in a PR Campaigns course this spring in which five other UHCL students and I are working to increase the response rates of end-of-course evaluations. First, we sent out an anonymous survey to help us better understand why students aren’t doing course evaluations. The top reasons indicated by the survey were a lack of awareness and lack of communication from the university to students, lack of time, uncertainty about anonymity and fear of retaliation. Knowing this, we created a campaign that’s geared to reach students – from fellow students who have had the same concerns.
Evaluations are 100% anonymous which is why they are a great opportunity for students to be honest about their experience in the courses they have taken. This feedback in turn benefits future students and their experiences at UHCL. The administration weighs your feedback heavily and this is your chance to make a difference and use your experience to improve the university. Evaluations are crucial for the success of professors who want you to succeed in your educational career at UHCL, that’s why the professors want to hear what they did well and what can be improved. Constructive criticism can help a professor grow, which in turn touches the lives of countless other students and helps them grow too. Voice your opinion and make it known that something did not work for you or make it known that a professor went and beyond so they can receive the recognition they deserve. Completing your course evaluations will only take 5 minutes of your time and make a major impact on the future success of students and professors.
-Tiffany McCleary, Emily Smallen, Jordan Wright, Gary Harris, Luke Durrett and Marissa Skidmore
The Signal posts community updates on a regular basis to keep the campus updated on events, deadlines, policy changes and other important happenings around UHCL. Community updates can be submitted by any individual or organization here.
