The University of Connecticut Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) surveys are due this Friday, May 3, and student participation in them is very important, UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said. (Screenshot via website)
The University of Connecticut Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) surveys are due this Friday, May 3, and student participation in them is very important, UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said.
“UConn greatly appreciates students’ input on the teaching and courses they’ve experienced because it helps to continually update and improve the education we’re offering,” Reitz said. “Our faculty members are able to use the responses to identify and build on areas of strength, and to consider changes in other areas as necessary. The results are compiled in aggregate form and no identities are shared, so students need not worry that their responses would be tied to their names – in fact, the reports are released only after final grades are submitted.”
Fourth-semester digital media and design major Christina McDonnell said she’s done all of her SET surveys and is happy to share her thoughts and experiences.
“I think they’re really important because they make me feel like my voice is being heard and they show that the school really cares about student input about whether or not the class is productive and the professor is good,” McDonnell said.
Associate journalism professor-in-residence Gail MacDonald said faculty does a lot with the feedback students give to improve teaching.
“You look at it and the university actually gives workshops on what to look for in this and how to read them,” MacDonald said. “You tend to try to look for trends. If there’s one area where you know a bulk of students who answer thought there was a problem, you pay more attention to that, but you also kind of look at outliers.”
At least three students from each class must complete the survey in order for a report to be generated and sent to the professor, UConn’s SET FAQ page said (set-faq).
All surveys are due Friday, May 3. Classes that have a lab section have two surveys – one for lecture and one for lab.
Luke Hajdasz is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at luke.hajdasz@uconn.edu.
