The SGA is implementing a new approach to the course ratings done by students at the end of each semester.
A team consisting of Becky Shelby, Nick Fagan, Matt Love and Meghan Clune is working to change the course-ratings system so that the evaluations can be done and easily accessed online.
The course ratings would allow the students to make informed decisions before registering for specific courses and teachers.
The course ratings given by SGA are separate from the ones given by the school, which are not released to the students. The evaluations given by the school are used mainly to determine teacher salary and retention.
The school stopped releasing their course ratings in the late `80s, and since then SGA has been fighting to provide the students with the information to make educated decisions when choosing their teachers.
The proposed on-line course ratings are really taking advantage of the electronic age. They eliminate the high costs of buying scan-trons and allow more courses to be evaluated.
In addition, they won’t have to be distributed and be filled out at the student’s conveinience. To complete the on-line evaluation, the students simply log on using their user name, like they do when accessing webstar, and then proceed to select the course, instructor and give the desired ratings.
Therefore, the whole process would require only a few short minutes. The new course-ratings questionnaires will consist of a few simple statements like “I would recommend this instructor” and “I would recommend this course” that will be rated on a 1-5 scale. They will focus on the questions the students want to hear. The course ratings will not have a comment section.
The success of the on-line course ratings requires student participation. Students have expressed their desire for this sort of service and SGA is working hard to meet the needs of the student body.
Committee member and SGA member Matt Love said, “Students want good teachers. SGA is providing a tool to help students pick good classes.”
The Academic Office of Enrollment and Academic Research is simulanteously working to provide better on-line course descriptions for students. SGA hopes that in the future they will be able to combine their services by working together with the Academic Office of Enrollment.
The SGA has other programs in mind to promote the academic success of University students.
They are looking into ideas such as text-book exchange and compiling a list of Saint Louis University’s top teachers.
They hope through the new on-line course ratings to not only help students avoid signing up for less desired courses and teachers, but to more importantly educate students on the highly qualified teachers and interesting classes that will make their education a worthwhile experience.
For now, those involved in the preparation of the on-line course evaluations are hard at work in hopes of having them ready before the spring semester.
If they are successful, many freshmen might be saved from unplrasant classroom experiences due to the advice and course evaluations completed by upperclassmen.
