The Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness forms, as well as open-ended questions, that students will be responding to during the last two weeks of classes are just two of the many ways department heads evaluate an instructor's performance. Michael Dooris, director of planning research and assessment in the Center for Quality and Planning, said classroom observations and reviews of syllabi and students' papers are also used.

"The SRTE is one of several sources we get about the quality of instruction," said Diane Brannon, head of the health policy and administration department. "If used as a part of a richer package of data sources, they [SRTE forms] are as good as anything out there," Brannon said.

Randall Deike, director of research for enrollment management, evaluated the reliability of the SRTE forms in an independent study project when he was a graduate student. Deike said promotion and tenure committees consider SRTE forms as part of a body of evidence that also includes the professor's research, published papers and ability to secure grants. Roy Young, head of the agricultural and biological engineering department, said promotion and tenure committees sometimes put too much emphasis on the SRTE forms.

"Sometimes students can enjoy getting off easy and not being challenged," he added. Dooris said that while assessing the SRTE forms in 1997, he discovered the criticisms against the ratings are not supported.

He said he found they reflect how much students have learned and how effective the instructor is.

In looking at the same course taught by different instructors, Dooris said, students who indicate that their professor was effective tend to receive higher grades in the course. Dooris said the SRTE forms are a fast and inexpensive way to gauge the reactions of many students at the same time.

Young said he has used SRTE forms in all the courses in his department since becoming department head in 1998 because they tell instructors ways they can improve. Brannon and Young said the open-ended questions are very useful.

Young said professors who try to incorporate new components into their courses, such as new textbooks, usually do not receive high scores.

Brannon reviews the responses with new professors and those that are having problems and may recommend one of the resources that are available on campus or observation of a professor. Dooris said most departments recommend courses from the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching to professors who receive low scores.

"If people come to work and they are doing their best and trying, we try to work with people," Dooris said.

Brannon said there have been instances when everything indicates someone is an excellent teacher, but they do not get along well with students. In these situations, she assists the instructor in improving student relations rather than teaching techniques.