Student Opinion Survey

OFFICE OF RECORD: Office of the Vice President
ISSUED BY: Vice President for Academic Affairs
APPROVED BY: Douglas D. Knowlton                          02-41-00
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10-30-86 (Last Revised 9/07/07)

02-41-00

Policy Overview

The Council of Higher Education (COHE) Agreement (in effect July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2011) stipulates that student opinion surveys will be used as part of the evaluation of faculty unit members, along with other procedures stipulated in the COHE agreement. The SD BOR System Guidelines require that this evaluation occur for every faculty member in every course every term with limited exceptions. The major purposes of the evaluation are to determine the level of performance relative to established standards, to assess progress toward promotion and/or tenure, and to inform annual salary decisions (COHE Section 11.2.1). In regard to student opinion surveys and their relationship to evaluations, the agreement states that "the evaluation...will include student opinion surveys...if the faculty unit member's duties include teaching." (Section 11.2.2).

Procedures for administering:

1. The originating institution administers the faculty evaluation survey and establishes the specific guidelines for survey administration, in concordance with the system guidelines.
2. Every instructor of record, regardless of location and type of contract, will administer the student opinion survey in every section of every course during every term. The only exemption to this guideline is for a multiple section course when multiple sections are taught by the same faculty member. In this situation a student opinion survey does not need to be administered in every section of a multiple section course. However, all students in every multiple section course will be given the opportunity to provide written comments in a confidential manner.
3. Any exemption from the evaluation process must be approved by the vice president for academic affairs.

Related Documents:

Section 11.2 of the 2008-2011 SDBOR/COHE Agreement

SD BOR Student Opinion Survey System Guidelines for Administration

SD BOR IDEA Student Rating of Instruction Implementation Procedures

DSU Student Opinion Survey Guidelines for Administration