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Rationale

Hawai‘i Pacific University’s student course evaluation process has a twofold purpose, to provide a common, university-wide gauge of teaching performance, and to assist faculty members in the improvement of their teaching.

Policy

At the end of each course students evaluate all faculty members (regular and special appointment). The dean of each college supervises the evaluation process. Deans and department chairs have access to each faculty member’s evaluations, and faculty may visit with their dean or department chair to discuss these evaluations. Student course evaluations must be submitted by faculty for all reappointment and promotion applications under the 2014 Faculty Handbook.

Development and Approval of Course Evaluations

The Faculty Assembly and Deans Council approve the HPU official course evaluation for face- to-face and online courses, which is aligned with the university institutional learning outcomes and is collaboratively developed by student leaders, faculty from different colleges, and staff with professional experience in learning assessment.

Dissemination of Student Course Evaluation

The course evaluations are web-based and a link to the survey is emailed directly to the student’s my.hpu email account. Course evaluations are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week during the evaluation period, and students may complete their course evaluation with any mobile device with internet access, including smart phones, tablets, or laptop computers.

Protection of Student Anonymity

Courses with 4 or fewer students enrolled are not provided a university course evaluation to protect the anonymity of the students.

Addition of Faculty and College Dean Questions

HPU’s course evaluation framework includes a set number of core institutional questions that appear on all evaluation forms. In addition, faculty members are invited to add two additional questions for each of their courses, which will only appear on their individual faculty report. College deans may also add two questions to the official course evaluations for their college. Faculty and college deans will receive an email with a link to the invitation.

Student Response Rate

A high student response rate is important to HPU because we want to receive feedback from all our students. Therefore, all faculty members are encouraged to communicate directly with their students the importance of student feedback, mention specific improvements they have made to courses in response to previous course evaluations, and remind students to complete their course evaluations before the due date. In addition, students are provided a one week “Early Grade View Incentive” if they complete all their course evaluations prior to the due date.

Access to Faculty Individual Reports

A link to the course evaluations reports will be emailed to faculty members two weeks after final grade submission is closed. Reports may be downloaded as PDF files and saved and are also stored on their personal Blackboard Learn page. Department chairs will review all evaluations and, when necessary, are to discuss course evaluations with faculty members to improve teaching techniques and effectiveness. Faculty members are also encouraged to seek out teaching mentors, and access HPU’s Office of the Faculty Teaching Fellow at www.hpu.edu/CAIT/

 

Procedures

The following procedures are based on an instruction term of 15 weeks. For terms other than 15 weeks modify the procedure accordingly:

  1. At least two weeks before the course evaluation survey period opens for students, faculty will receive an email invitation to add up to two questions to the set number of core institutional questions that appear on all evaluation forms. A link in the email will open the Custom Question screen in the course evaluation system. A question bank has been created to assist faculty in choosing questions but they may choose to create their own Likert or open-ended question. Faculty may use different questions for each course or save and use the same two questions for all their courses. Results from these customized questions will only be available to the individual faculty member. Once the survey opens to students faculty members will no longer be able to add questions.

  2. Courses with 4 or fewer students enrolled will not be provided a university course evaluation to protect the anonymity of the students. Therefore faculty will not be invited to add questions for a low enrolling course. Faculty members are encouraged to explore alternative methods for receiving teaching feedback in low enrolling courses (e.g. small group discussion with a guest faculty member to gather anonymous feedback on course content and teaching effectiveness or an informal discussion between faculty member and student for a directed study).

  3. All faculty members are encouraged to communicate directly with their students the importance of student feedback, mention specific improvements they have made to courses in response to previous course evaluations, and remind students to complete their course evaluations before the due date.

  4. HPU’s Student Course Evaluation System provides an “Early Grade View Incentive” for the students. Students who complete all their course evaluations by the due date will be able to view their final grades a week earlier then students who did not complete their course evaluations. Therefore, for the incentive to work we request that faculty remove any “total/final grade” column if they are using grade book in Blackboard Learn. Faculty are encouraged to continue to use grade book for quizzes, exams, assignments or point systems for their course, only do not total the final grade.

  5. Students will be provided at least two weeks to complete their course evaluations and receive a 1-week and 3-day reminder. A link to the survey is emailed directly to the student’s my.hpu email account. They may also complete their course evaluations by logging into their Blackboard Learn.

  6. A link to the course evaluations reports will be emailed to faculty members two weeks after final grade submission is closed. Reports may be downloaded as PDF files and saved, and are also stored on their personal Blackboard Learn page.

 

Questions