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Student Rating of Instruction Survey (SRIS) Policy

Policy Statement:

Student Rating of Instuction Surveys (SRIS) shall be used as one part of the evaluation of teaching effectiveness for faculty members.

Definitions:

Student Rating of Instruction (SRIS):An online form designed to collect feedback from students regarding teaching effectiveness.

Class:A section of a course containing a group of students who have registered for that section.

Instructor:The faculty member is responsible for conducting the day-to-day instructional activities for a class and the assignment of grades to the students taking the class.

Keywords: student opinion survey; student rating of instruction survey (SRIS); evaluation of teaching

Reason for the Policy:

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents Policy Manual (8.3.5.1) requires that each institution, as part of its evaluative procedures, will utilize a written system of faculty evaluations by students, with the improvement of teaching effectiveness as the main focus of these student evaluations.

Each USG institution shall establish clearly stated promotion criteria (BOR Policy 8.3.6) and procedures that emphasize excellence in teaching for all teaching faculty. Similarly, the minimum criteria for tenure include superior teaching, which requires demonstration of excellence in instruction (BOR Policy 8.3.7).

Therefore, the major purposes of the evaluation of teaching are to be one factor for evaluators to use to help determine the level of teaching performance in order to improve teaching effectiveness, to assess progress toward promotion and tenure, and to inform annual faculty evaluations.

Proposed Outcome:

The application of this policy should ensure a coordinated university-wide approach to the use of Student Rating of Instruction Surveys (SRIS) as one means of evaluating teaching effectiveness.

Applicability of the Policy:

The teaching performance of all instructors, regardless of their academic ranks or tenure status, is subject to evaluation. This policy applies to all instructors.

Related Policies:

Board of Regents Policy Manual

8.3.5 Evaluation of Personnel

8.3.6 Criteria for Promotion

8.3.7 Criteria for Tenure

Background:

As of Fall 2011, Georgia College & State University (GCSU) has been using an online student opinion survey.

In Spring 2013 the Student Ratings of Instructional Survey (SRIS) published by the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) organization (see http://ideaedu.org) was selected as the online instrument. In Fall 2013, GCSU selected (IDEA) which had a cap (cost) on the number of courses to be evaluated. During the 2015-2016 academic year GCSU adopted the policy of evaluating two courses per semester to address the cost associated with IDEA. In the Summer of 2019, GCSU converted to the CampusLabs format. CampusLabs merged with Anthology in the Summer of 2022. The current system (Anthology) does not have a cap on the number of courses to be evaluated. In order to bring GCSU in alignment with other USG schools, this policy requires that all courses should be evaluated using SRIS as one aspect of a balanced measurement of teaching effectiveness.

Procedures:

  1. Each full-time instructor shall be surveyed on all of their assigned courses.
  2. An undergraduate class with fewer than ten (10) or a graduate class with fewer than five (5) students enrolled at the time the instrument is to be administered shall not be surveyed unless specifically requested by the instructor or department chair/director.
  3. The student opinion survey shall be administered in a given semester during the last three (3) weeks of a semester and conclude at midnight prior to the first day of exam week. Exceptions to this rule can be made with the approval of the college dean.
  4. See the Center for Teaching and Learning for directions accessing SRIS online to complete one of the following tasks:
    1. Instructors to complete the Objective Selection Form (OSF): https://gcsu.campuslabs.com/faculty/
    2. Student to complete student opinion survey: https://gcsu.campuslabs.com/courseeval/
    3. Instructor/Student/Department Chair/Director to access student opinion survey results.
  5. If given class time to complete the survey, the instructor shall not be present in the room when students are completing the online student opinion survey.
  6. The student opinion survey responses shall be anonymous.
  7. All student opinion survey data used in personnel decisions shall be accompanied by response rates and enrollment size for the data.
  8. Each department shall maintain an appropriate record of the instructor’s teaching performance.
  9. Instructors shall be permitted, but are not required, to respond to student opinion survey results by adding written comments to their annual review documentation that are communicated to individuals responsible for personnel decisions.

Non-Compliance:

Failure to comply with the requirements of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination or expulsion in accordance with relevant University policies and may result in prosecution in accordance with state and federal law.

 

Contacts:  Associate Provost, Academic Affairs

Approval Date:  Motion Number 2324.FAPC.002.P  Motion signed by President Cathy Cox on March 22, 2024