Should University Professor Evaluations Be Public? A Student's Perspective

A proposal has been made to publish university professor evaluations online, making them accessible to all students and faculty. The letter suggests that this move would benefit both professors, who could use the feedback to improve their teaching, and prospective students, who could make more informed choices about their course selections. However, a student, in response, expresses doubts about the practicality of this plan.

The student argues that professors may not appreciate having their teaching styles publicly scrutinized. They fear that professors might feel discouraged by negative comments and might even choose to ignore the online evaluations altogether. Furthermore, the student believes that student-written evaluations, often completed hastily on the last day of class, are unlikely to provide detailed or useful insights. They point out that students, eager to leave, may not invest the time necessary to give specific and helpful feedback about the professor or the course.

In conclusion, the student questions the effectiveness of making professor evaluations public. They believe that it could lead to negative consequences for professors and potentially undermine the purpose of seeking student feedback.