It's that time of year again, when professors and TAs nervously hand out the mandatory student teacher evaluations, otherwise known as the UBCATS (University at Buffalo Course and Teacher Survey).
UBCATS is a set of standard questions with space for additional comments on the back, which is used to evaluate over 1300 class sections.
Each semester, over 32,000 responses are handed in.
The results are then collected and posted online, and after the semester grades have been posted, the originals are either given back to the teachers personally, or filed for the teachers to look through on their own time.
Although most students answer the questionnaire honestly, they do not always utilize the results, which for the past two years have been available online through MyUB and the Student Association Web site.
Linda Bogdan, English undergraduate secretary and collector of the original UBCATS for the English department, said that few students come into the office to paw through a prospective teacher's past student evaluations.
"To think that all that information sits there, not that many students use it," said Bogdan. She said that most evaluations are kept until a professor retires or leaves the university.
According to Dr. Peter Gold, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, the same UBCATS format has been in use since the inception of the College of Arts and Sciences.
"The evaluations are a very effective way to bring a concern to the attention of a teacher, because they are anonymous," said Gold.
Besides improvements in teaching, the evaluations are also included in resumes when applying for other jobs, or for tenure applications.
Additional to the UBCATS evaluations, most departments have their own specialized course and teacher evaluations; these, however, are not available online. Both the UBCATS and supplementary evaluations are stored within their respective departments.
Gold said he hopes there are at least a few UB students who take advantage of the evaluations.
"We put a lot of effort into them," Gold said, "and we've designed them to be student friendly."
The evaluations, if completed honestly, can be a tool for students looking for the best classes and teachers, as well as a valuable tool for teachers interested in perfecting their teaching methods.
Jessica Coleman, a senior computer science and history double major, said she takes advantage of the information posted online.
"I looked up my teachers before this semester. It really helped me decide which professor to choose for one of my gen ed classes," she said.
"I think they are a good way to judge how students feel about certain teachers and their teaching methods," Coleman added. "If we didn't have the evaluations, it would be difficult to see how teachers are affecting the students."
Not all students feel the evaluations are such a positive tool.
"I don't think they have much purpose," said Kristen Perry, a junior undecided major.
"I think they're dumb, because sometimes I don't see what the effect of them is," said Nicole Capese, a junior English major.
According to Gold, only about 10 to 20 percent of students write comments on the back of the UBCATS, and if they do, they are often short and have meaning mostly for the teacher.
Gold added that the teaching at UB is generally thought to be good, but that larger lectures have poorer evaluations compared to smaller classes.
Professors and TAs had differing opinions on the subject of teacher evaluations.
"Some students will never enjoy an academic class no matter who you are or what you do, so student evaluations are weighed with a critical eye," said Joel Siepierski, an instructor currently teaching World Civilizations I and II.
"I think they are a positive tool," said evolutionary biology TA and junior pharmacy major Rebecca Blenski. "I work hard to teach well in the hopes that I'm helping the students I teach. The evaluations are a guide for me."
Leslie Graff, graduate student and English TA, has misgivings as to the effectiveness of the evaluations.
"I have found that students tend to use the evaluations as a form of 'getting revenge' for their bad grades. I think teachers often try to bribe students to get good evaluations, either by making courses easy or inflating grades just prior to doing the evaluations," said Graff, adding that the questions on the evaluations are too vague to be useful.
"I don't try to teach to the evaluations, but I do hope to provide an enjoyable but challenging course," said Graff.
"I think they are a good idea, in theory," she said.
Most professors were skeptical of how seriously the students take the evaluations.
"I think some students take them seriously, others I am not so sure," said Pam Wendling, a UB 101 teacher.
Graff said that students rush through them to get home earlier and only make comments when they are doing poorly.
She suggests that students fill out the forms on a volunteer basis, and that a system be implemented linking student responses to student grades.
As more students become aware of the possible effects of the evaluations, they may be more likely to spend a few extra minutes checking out the evaluations online.
Isaac Chapman, a freshman business major, said he does not take advantage of the evaluations because he did not know they were available.
"I probably will now that I know about it," Chapman said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
