Faculty Senate to discuss new course evaluations Thursday
Professor Russell Berman, who served as chair of Stanford's Course Evaluation Committee, will present a report on the new evaluations. Following his presentation, a faculty panel will discuss learning goals.
The Faculty Senate meeting on Thursday, Oct. 22, will include a presentation on the university’s new course evaluations and a faculty panel discussion on learning goals.
Russell Berman, a professor of German Studies and of comparative literature who served as chair of Stanford’s Course Evaluation Committee, will present a report on the new course evaluations, online forms that students will complete at the end of the current quarter.
The new course evaluations emphasize the quality of student learning and are tailored specifically to the format, teaching practices and learning goals of individual classes.
The new evaluations represent a significant change for Stanford because the questions – both standard and customized – are designed to elicit responses about the success of the course in promoting student learning. Previous course evaluation forms focused almost exclusively on the performance of the instructor.
Faculty members recently received email notifications with a link to the online course customization form and an invitation to visit the course evaluation website for guidelines on customizing their forms by identifying specific, measurable learning goals for each of the classes they teach.
Following Berman’s presentation, a faculty panel will discuss learning goals. The panelists are: Jim Campbell, professor in U.S. history; Susan McConnell, professor in biology; and Sheri Sheppard, professor in mechanical engineering.
The senate meeting will begin at 3:15 p.m. in Room 180 of the Law School.
Discussion is limited to members of the senate, but members of the Stanford community may request to attend the meeting by contacting the Academic Secretary’s Office at 724-7863 or by sending an email to Adrienne Emory, assistant academic secretary.
The minutes for the Sept. 24 senate meeting are available on the Faculty Senate website.