Rethinking Student Evaluations of Instruction [Abstract]

Abstract

Aim/Purpose While student evaluations of instruction remain the most common mechanism for evaluating teaching effectiveness, they remain controversial and are plagued by criticisms of bias. Background The Assessment Council at a Mid-Atlantic Historically Black College or University (HBCU) has determined that student evaluations of instruction provide feedback for instructors, give students a voice, and help improve instruction and course efficacy and that the information collected from SETs can be used for formative evaluation, helping faculty and programs make adjustments to improve instructional design and delivery, and to help inform acknowledgements of teaching excellence as well as decisions about promotions, tenure, and compensation. Accordingly, a task force was formed of students and faculty challenged with crafting a new student evaluation of instruction instrument built around three areas of focus: Teaching Excellence, Course Design and Clarity, and Inclusive Learning. A draft fifteen question instrument was prepared and widely distributed for feedback before being piloted in the summer and fall of 2025. The data was subsequently downloaded and imported into SPSS where Cronbach’s Alpha and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients were calculated with results indicating that the instrument's items are internally consistent and reliable. Contribution This presentation will provide information on a minority serving institution's work to redesign and validate a new student evaluation of instruction instrument to be more reflective of instructional quality and which is part of a larger framework used to evaluate teaching excellence that includes annual evaluations, dossier preparation for post tenure review and/or promotion and tenure, peer review, and consideration against predetermined and discipline relevant activities/expectations.