OUR VIEW: Evaluations should be accessible to students

Faculty evaluations may seem to be a tedious chore for students. However, not everything in life is full of roses and sweets.

In the process of exchanging information, it is important for all sides to have a chance to clarify feelings, intentions and consequences.

Professors frequently tell students what the results of their actions will be. Students then have a choice to either follow instructors’ advice or to ignore it. They then suffer the consequences.

Isn’t it only fair the students have a chance to tell professors what they feel about their performance? Of course.

Until recently, students were able to access results of previous evaluations to see how professors were rated by other students. Monday, the Faculty Senate voted to remove the evaluations, citing inaccuracy from a lack of student participation. It didn’t seem to be a fair sample.

This, however, should be of no consequence. Evaluations are evaluations. Students need to see how others feel about the professors at Utah State University.

It is understandable that sometimes information reported by students is embarrassing and seemingly illogical. But this is the purpose of evaluations. If professors are embarrassed by student responses, they have a chance to change.

In order to avoid embarrassment at the end of the year, professors may choose to engage in primary evaluations around midterms to assess the students’ perspectives on teaching style, course content and workload, among other things.

There is no reason why there shouldn’t be an exchange between students and teachers. The relationship is an important one and one that deserves openness on both ends.