Students are invited to provide feedback on courses, classrooms and instructors through online questionnaires. In addition to soliciting responses to set questions, the questionnaires also allow for open-ended observations about perceived strengths of the course and instructor, suggestions for possible improvements, and any other comments the student might wish to make about the course.

 

Updates of Course Evaluations - Catholic University

Fall 2023: The individual reports are available online (CUA Login Required) Spring 2024: Evaluations are in progress.

Please click here to access course evaluation reports (CUA login required).

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions for short answers to logistical questions.

Strategies for Improving Responses Rates to Online Evaluations

If schools or departments are looking to increase student participation in the evaluation process, here are some questions, strategies, and takeaways to consider.

Questions

1. What is/are the primary motivation(s) to increase participation? Can these be used in messaging (e.g., is there a target response rate that has implications for accreditation)? Can they be made more compelling (e.g., "because only complainers participate" is not motivating)?
2. Does everyone have access to participate? Are there technical issues preventing some part of the population from participating?
3. Does everyone know when their participation is being solicited? What is the internal school/departmental strategy for communicating dates and times?
4. Are allfaculty and staff in agreement with participation? Are there pockets of disinterest or resistance?
5. Are students in agreement with participation? Are there pockets of disinterest or resistance?

Strategies

• Inform faculty and students of the importance of participation. They need to know why participation is important.
• Define a clear messaging strategy, including dates and instructions.  Anticipate the most common expressions of disinterest and resistance.
• Make the time, cue the reminder. A unified approach across the department or school is highly effective. If all classes evaluate within the same two or three days, it is easier for them to remember.

Key Takeaways

1. University messaging is not enough. Students are inundated with email from campus organizations and do not recognize the names of staff members. Direct communication from faculty and CSON administration is much more effective.
2. Email is not enough. Because of the volume of email and surveys sent, evaluations are lost in the noise. Call out evaluations in the syllabus, put them as an "assignment" in Blackboard, talk about their importance in class, and get students thinking about them in advance.
3. Take the time. Set aside the same in-class time that was allotted prior to going online with evaluations. Students won't remember to evaluate without being given a prompt and the time.
4. Accommodate student liberty. You communicated well and you set aside the time, but some students just started checking Instagram on their phones. It is ultimately their choice to participate. Forcing or incentivizing participation results in biased responses, which are typically less favorable.

 

Please contact Institutional Research (cua-pir@cua.edu) directly if you have any questions.