Every semester, students have the opportunity to evaluate their courses against a
vetted series of evaluation questions. Faculty can customize their course evaluations
to ask additional questions that are relevant to their own course development plans.
Stony Brook University uses Anthology Course Evaluation. Login below to see the current evaluation data (Fall 2022-Present):
Feedback from course evaluations is far more valuable if you can maximize your response
rates. Listed here are tried-and-true ways to increase response rates to your course surveys.
If you have other ideas or suggestions that have worked for you, please let us know!
Email the CELT Course Evaluation Team atCourseEval@stonybrook.edu
Take some time to explain to students why their feedback is valuable and how it will
be used to improve the course or program. Sharing examples of how you might have
modified a course in response to student feedback will help them see their feedback
matters. For example: "Last semester the evaluations said I should make better use
of the course website, and that is why this year I have been posting notes online."
Leave a few minutes at the end of class and ask that students take the time to complete
their evaluations on their own devices. The Course Evaluations platform is mobile
friendly! You can even pull up your view of the response rate and watch the number
rise in real time.
Emphasize to students that their responses are not only confidential, but anonymous
and will not even be shared with you until after grades are posted.
You can keep the students aware of their progress by just writing the response rates
on the board at the beginning of each class, or providing updates via Brightspace
announcements. Consider sharing a specific goal to reach, such as a 90% response rate.
You could also project the response rates for all your classes and have a competition
between classes for the highest response rate.
You can monitor your response rates by logging into the course evaluations portal. When surveys are active, your response rates will be visible on the landing page
after loggin in.
Periodically remind students about completing their course evaluations in class, through
online announcements and email. Students have 3 to 4 weeks to submit their evaluations,
so doing more than one announcement when they open will maximize your responses.
While you are able to add custom questions for your own class, keep in mind the amount
of time it will take students to complete the survey. The core survey for all questions
at Stony Brook includes 13 total questions (2 of these are open-ended). Response
rates are higher when a survey is kept to 10 minutes or less (Galesiki & Bosjniak, 2009).
Midterm Student Feedback
Stony Brook University does not centrally distribute midterm course evaluations. However,
here at CELT we encourage faculty members to gather formative feedback from students
around the midpoint of the term in order to make modifications to improve student
learning.
Feedback can be collected in the form of a mid-point survey deployed through Qualtrics, Google Forms or another survey tool of your choice. The purpose of midterm feedback surveys is
to improve the current learning experience, by giving the opportunity for students
to share their reflections with instructors. CELT is happy to provide feedback and
guidance on creating or customizing questions for mid-point surveys. Reach out to
courseevals@stonybrook.edu for a consultation.
Tips for Deploying Midterm Surveys
Make it optional and informal (no grade should be attached!)
Choose whether or not to make it anonymous (this may depend on the questions you ask!)
Provide students the opportunity to reflect by using open-ended questions
Consider using class time for students to respond
Share results with students and discuss how feedback may impact the course moving
forward
Sample Midterm Student Feedback Form Developed by CELT:
Confirm accurate teaching assignments in Solar (PeopleSoft)
Instructors will not be evaluated if they are not properly assigned to their course
in PeopleSoft. Please note: only primary and secondary instructors are evaluated.
For TAs to be evaluated they must be listed as a primary or secondary instructor in
PeopleSoft.
Update department administrator access in the evaluation system
Deans, Department Chairs and their designees can request access to view evaluation
results for all courses in their assigned college/school or department. To update
or request administrator access, please email us at CourseEval@stonybrook.edu or call 2-8032.
If needed, submit an exception request
All courses and course sections are evaluated, EXCEPT those designated as TUT or SUP in PeopleSoft. If you require an exception to these
rules, you must submit a request prior to the start of evaluations. Requests should
be submitted in the following circumstances:
You want your TUT or SUP courses evaluated
Your lecture and recitation (LEC and REC) or lecture and lab (LEC and LAB) course
sections are identical (i.e. same instructor and students) and you only want students
to complete evaluations for one of these sections
You would like another exception request considered.*
*Any request to remove courses from evaluations will require approval from department
chairpersons.
Please Note: Departments and faculty who have submitted exception requests in the past do not need
to re-submit. If you’re unsure if your request was submitted, please email us at
CourseEval@stonybrook.edu.
SBU Classie Evals
Search Course Evaluations
Access to course evaluation data from previous semesters (must login using netid and
password). Like "Rate My Professor" but more relevant to Stony Brook University.
Important Information
In Fall 2010, with Faculty Senate and Provostial approval, Stony Brook adopted an
online course evaluation system that began during the Spring 2011 semester. This adoption
was preceded by a pilot test of the system in Fall 2010 involving 200 course sections
and significant discussion with stakeholder groups across the University.
At this time, the system is in place for all West campus courses. All undergraduate
and graduate courses will be evaluated online, unless department chairpersons designate
courses that should not be evaluated (such as dissertation, readings, small seminars,
etc.)
The system is hosted by an external company which provides an extensive set of services
including the survey engine, question banks, pre-created analysis and reports of the
survey results, as well as a system for managing survey assignments and email reminders
to faculty and students. The system is accessible via any Web browser from any Internet-connected
computer.
Faculty and students will automatically receive email notifications and instructions
before and during each of the following events.
Instructors will be given 7-10 days before the evaluation period starts to prepare
their own customized questions and add them to the evaluation system.
Student access to the course evaluations will start during the final third of a course
(approximately four weeks before for full semester courses), and will end the last
day of the official final examination period. Students will receive multiple email
reminders during this period if at least one course evaluation remains uncompleted.
All instructors and teaching assistants listed as primary and secondary instructors
in PeopleSoft/SOLAR are evaluated. If a faculty member manages a course, but does
not teach it, he or she should be listed in the SUP field in PeopleSoft to prevent
an evaluation being assigned. It is very important that instructor information for
courses be correct in PeopleSoft prior to the beginning of each evaluation period
or faculty may not get evaluated or the wrong instructor may be evaluated for a course.
All instructional staff who are assigned as Primary Instructors or Secondary Instructors
are evaluated, including TAs. It is important for academic departments to enter TA
teaching assignments accurately and in a timely manner in order for the course evaluations
to be accurately assigned, usually within the first 4 weeks of the semester. If your
courses are not listed or you are listed as teaching the wrong course, please contact
your department administrator to make the changes in SOLAR and contact the CELT Course
Evaluation Team to make corrections in the course evaluation system: CourseEval@stonybrook.edu
Evaluations are assigned based on the data entered by departmental staff in SOLAR.
Please contact the appropriate staff member in your department to ensure that your
correct teaching assignments are up to date before each semester's evaluation period
begins. If you are assigned an evaluation for a course that you are not teaching or
have not been assigned to a course that you are teaching, please contact the person
in your department who is responsible for maintaining faculty teaching assignments
in Peoplesoft/SOLAR. Then, that person needs to contact the CELT Course Evaluation
Team: CourseEval@stonybrook.edu
Yes, policies and procedures determined all courses including low enrollment will
automatically be evaluated except those designated as TUTorial or SUPervisory or CLN
(clinical).
However, faculty and departments can choose to evaluate these courses by submitting
an exception request. To access the exception form, click here. Please note you must be logged in to your Stony Brook Google account to complete
the form.
The system administers separate evaluations for all instructors in the course. Common
questions such as those focused on the learning space are delivered only one time
to each student within each course.
Technical support regarding login, navigation, incorrect instructor assignments, adding
custom questions, downloading reports/data, and interpreting results is available
to all users. Please email CourseEval@stonybrook.edu for details.
About the Evaluations
The current list of course evaluation questions was developed by a faculty committee,
reviewed by Undergraduate Council, Graduate Council, Undergraduate Program Directors,
Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Student Organization for feedback, and
approved by the University Senate in Fall 2013.
The following questions appear on all course evaluations:
Overall, I would give this course a grade of...[A-F, 5-point scale]
The instructor was effective in teaching the subject matter [5-point scale SA(5)
to SD(1)]
Instructor expectation of students is reasonable. [5-point scale: SA(5) to SD(1)]
The grading was based on the requirements stated in the syllabus. [Scale: Agree /
Grading did not match the syllabus / There was no syllabus / I did not read the syllabus
/ I don’t know]
The textbook, readings and required resources were valuable. [Scale: Agree / Disagree
/ I did not read the required materials / No text, readings or resources were required]
Did the use of the required textbooks, readings or resources sufficiently justify
their cost? [Scale: Agree / Sufficiently used but not worth the cost / Not sufficiently
used / No cost required / I did not read the required materials]
What is your reason for taking this course? [Scale: Gen Ed requirement / Major requirement
/ Minor requirement / Upper-division credit / Personal interest / Other (please specify)]
What is the most effective way to contact the instructor outside of class? [Scale:
Office Hours / Before or After Class / Email / Telephone / I Never Contacted the Instructor
/ Other (please specify)]
On average, how many hours per week did you spend on this course outside of class?
[Scale: 0-3 hours / 4-6 hours / 7-9 hours / 10+ hours]
My anticipated grade in this class is: [Scale: A,B,C,D,F,P,S,U, I Don’t Know]
How often did you attend this class? [Scale: Always /Most of the time / About half
the time / Before exams / Very infrequently]
What, if anything, did you find most valuable about this course? (Open)
In what ways, if any, could the course be improved? (Open)
The evaluation data is made available approximately 15 days after the evaluation period
ends to ensure that all grades have been submitted. While the Registrar's grade submission
guidelines ask for grades to be submitted 72 hours after final exams, many faculty
do not submit grades for several weeks. Consequently, results are delayed until the
Registrar indicates that all grades have been submitted.
Faculty are able to review their own evaluation reports, including student comments,
before they are published to the university community, by loging into Course Evaluations.
After reviewing student feedback from the evaluation reports, faculty may request redaction of any comments that harass, threaten, defame, slander or otherwise fall outside
the scope of the course by submitting a request to the department chair.
Year
Administration Term
Evaluations to be completed
Evaluations completed
Completion Rate
2022
Fall
119089
34,838
29.25%
Summer I
8062
1790
22.20%
Summer I Extended
2029
461
22.72%
Summer II & II Extended
8783
1741
19.82%
Spring
108974
30649
28.13%
Winter
3613
866
23.97%
2021
Fall
121951
36770
30.15%
Summer I
7765
1845
23.76%
Summer I Extended
1403
257
18.32%
Summer II & II Extended
8674
2069
23.85%
Spring
109035
30530
28.00%
Winter
3192
846
26.50%
2020
Fall
119453
40896
34.24%
Summer I
7403
2575
34.78%
Summer I Extended
1380
501
36.30%
Summer II & II Extended
8861
2700
30.47%
Spring
107886
47048
43.61%
Winter
3274
486
14.84%
2019
Fall
116082
39967
34.43%
Summer I
6580
1915
29.10%
Summer I Extended
1153
245
21.25%
Summer II & II Extended
7485
1739
23.23%
Spring
106198
43414
40.88%
Winter
3393
517
15.24%
2018
Fall
118832
54773
46.09%
Summer I
7118
2053
28.84%
Summer I Extended
1263
302
23.91%
Summer II & II Extended
7320
1695
23.16%
Spring
105745
45751
43.27%
Winter
3028
989
32.66%
2017
Fall
117795
57598
48.90%
Summer I
6639
2121
31.95%
Summer I Extended
1562
627
40.14%
Summer II & II Extended
6773
2148
31.71%
Spring
103016
45869
44.49%
Winter
2625
858
32.69%
2016
Fall
114661
57739
50.36%
Summer 1
6723
2068
30.76%
Summer II
7064
1905
26.97%
Summer 1 Extended
1776
419
23.59%
Spring
103305
45508
44.05%
Winter
2373
804
33.88%
2015
Fall
111181
55551
49.96%
Summer 1
7271
2234
30.77%
Summer II
6839
1788
26.14%
Summer 1 Extended
1562
480
30.73%
Spring
103276
47868
46.35%
Winter
1932
720
37.27%
2014
Fall
109972
50950
46.33%
Summer 1
7207
2168
30.08%
Summer II
113
57
50.44%
Summer 1 Extended
1272
335
26.34%
Spring
104422
43955
42.09%
Winter
2389
690
28.88%
2013
Fall
107730
41094
38.15%
Summer 1
8051
1831
22.74%
Summer II
6067
1294
21.33%
Summer 1 Extended
727
82
11.28%
Spring
102222
0
0.00%
Winter
2241
302
13.48%
2012
Fall
103941
0
0.00%
Summer
16107
3920
19.57%
Spring
96597
25534
20.91%
Winter
2358
570
19.47%
2011
Fall
102390
3346
24.62%
Summer
17871
2817
13.62%
Spring
98907
25619
20.57%
Course evaluation results will be emailed to faculty and approved reviewers after
the survey concludes and grades are posted. Approved reviewers can access the evaluation results of all the faculty within a department
and generally tend to be department chairs or their designees. Should chairs wish
to designate additional reviewers they should email a request which includes the reviewer's
9-digit Stony Brook ID Number to CourseEval@stonybrook.edu
The evaluation data will remain online as long as the University maintains its contract
with this vendor. Each semester, all Stony Brook results are exported and stored in
the data warehouse along with all previous course evaluation results so that faculty
course summaries will always be available.
When the online system was being considered by faculty, conversations were conducted
with student government and they told us that many students rely on public "rate-my-professor"
websites to make course decisions and expressed instead the desire to see Stony Brook's
instructor ratings to make informed course choices. Subsequently, the University Faculty
Senate approved a motion to make course evaluation data available to students.