Maintaining a Positive Work and Learning Environment
For student concerns, contact:
For student concerns, contact:
3-point plan to increase response rates at UMSL
1) Campus-wide messaging to faculty and students regarding importance of SETs
a. Article in April newsletter to faculty from CTL
b. Email from Provost to faculty 1 week prior to evaluation period (on or about April 16) regarding research in importance of higher responses rates, how the information will be used, and research regarding how to increase response rates
c. Email to students from Provost 1 week prior to evaluation period (on or about April 16)
d. Conversation with Department Chairs at bi-annual meeting seeking their input and efforts to increase response rates
2) Increase access to real-time response rates
a. The setting as to whether or not faculty can see real-time response rates is controlled at the college level; currently, some colleges enable this feature, and others have it disabled
b. Provost messaging all colleges to turn on the feature no later than April 13
c. Email to faculty from CTL about how to check response rates once the SET period opens, with hints about how to increase response rates
d. Access to real-time response rates throughout the SET period is crucial – especially for faculty using class-wide response rate thresholds for incentives
3) Prioritize reviewing and responding to responses following the SET period
a. We hypothesize that faculty who must review and react to student evaluations and who must explain how the information found in the evaluations will be used to alter future course design and instruction will be more invested in higher response rates
b. Students who believe faculty use the information tend to respond at higher rates than students who believe their input is ignored
c. Encourage faculty to share with students that their input will be used for future improvements to the course
d. CTL to share information on how to categorize and respond to qualitative data in SETs