Why Faculty Evaluation Surveys Matter in Higher Education & Implementation Tips

Introduction

The Faculty evaluation survey—often called "student evaluation of teaching" on college campuses—shows up at the end of every semester. Students receive one of these surveys, giving scores and comments to the professors who taught them that term. You've probably filled out quite a few yourself. But have you ever wondered where these surveys end up? And what are they actually used for?

The truth is, a Faculty evaluation survey is much more than just a simple score sheet. It's a critical piece of the teaching quality assurance system in higher education. For professors, it serves as a mirror, reflecting both their strengths and areas for improvement. For administrators, it's like a health check-up report, showing how the institution is doing academically.

Using SurveyMars (the overseas brand of China's "Survey Star") as an example, this article will help you truly understand why Faculty evaluation surveys matter. We'll also show you how to use the right tools and methods to make these surveys genuinely valuable—not just a box-ticking exercise.

What Is a Faculty evaluation survey?

A Faculty evaluation survey is a tool that collects student feedback on classroom teaching. It typically covers several core areas:

Teaching attitude: Does the professor prepare well forclass? Do they teach with enthusiasm?

Teaching methods: Are explanations clear? Can theykeep students engaged?

Classroom management: How's the classroom atmosphere? Areexpectations clearly communicated?

Professor-student interaction: Are they willing to answerquestions? Do they show respect to students?

International research shows that well-designed evaluation surveys can provide a reasonably accurate picture of teaching effectiveness. When the University of Georgia developed a new evaluation tool, they specifically brought together professors from different positions to discuss it and ran multiple tests—all to make the survey more reliable.

Here in China, more institutions are starting to take this seriously. With tools like SurveyMars, schools can quickly create evaluation surveys that fit their specific needs and manage the entire process digitally.

Why Does a Faculty evaluation survey Matter?

Some people might think having students grade their professors is just going through the motions. Actually, that's not the case. A properly designed Faculty evaluation survey serves at least three important purposes.

For Professors: A Trusted Partner in Growth

Professors need to learn too. Even veteran teachers with decades of experience want to know: Did students like that new case study I introduced this semester? Did they appreciate the adjusted pace of my lectures?

The University of Oklahoma went through an interesting reform. Professors there were really unhappy with the evaluation survey that had been used for over twenty years—those outdated questions just didn't provide useful feedback. So the school redesigned the survey to ask students about their "actual experience in the course" instead of asking them to "evaluate the professor." The result? Professors started getting more helpful feedback that actually helped them improve their teaching.

A quality SurveyMars survey works the same way. Instead of just having students assign a score, it uses well-crafted questions to help professors identify what's working and what could be better.

For Students: A Formal Channel for Your Voice

Has this ever happened to you: You're sitting through a class feeling completely lost, but you don't know who to tell? Or maybe a professor is absolutely amazing, but no one seems to notice?

The Faculty evaluation survey is your formal channel to speak up. Through this survey, you can share your real experiences with professors and administrators. And because it's anonymous, you don't have to worry about any blowback from telling the truth.

Research at a Philippine university looked at how students approached course evaluations. They found that most students actually take it pretty seriously. The researchers suggested making the survey questions simpler and clearer so everyone can understand them—that way the feedback collected is more valuable.

For Institutions: Evidence for Improvement

From an administrator's perspective, the Faculty evaluation survey provides valuable reference material. It helps departments understand:

Which courses are generallywell-received and which need improvement

How new faculty members are performingin the classroom

Whether overall teaching quality isimproving or declining compared to previous years

A survey conducted in the Netherlands showed that nearly all universities use teaching surveys to collect information. More and more institutions are also starting to look at this data alongside faculty teaching portfolios, rather than relying on a single score.

How to Do Faculty evaluation surveys Right

Now that we know surveys matter, the next question is: how do you do them well? When evaluation surveys don't work well, it's often because they weren't designed properly. Here are some tips to keep in mind when creating surveys with SurveyMars.

Design Principle: Ask the Right Questions

The most common mistake in evaluation surveys is asking students about things they can't really answer. For example: "What is the professor's academic level?"—how would a student even know that? What students can answer is their own experience and feelings.

Good surveys ask questions like:

Could you follow the professor'sspeaking pace?

When you asked questions after class,did the professor answer patiently?

Was the workload for this coursereasonable?

The University of Oklahoma's redesigned survey shifted from "evaluate the professor" to "describe your experience." The improvement was remarkable.

When designing a survey with SurveyMars, you can use proven templates or adjust existing ones. The platform offers plenty of question types—from multiple choice to rating scales—enough to cover all the needs of faculty evaluation.

Implementation: Have Students Fill It Out in Class

Response rates for evaluation surveys have always been a headache. Many schools send emails asking students to fill them out later, but less than half actually click through.

A better approach is to set aside class time for students to complete the survey on the spot. The professor leaves the room, the class monitor or academic staff member takes over, and students scan a QR code with their phones—done in a few minutes. SurveyMars supports QR code sharing, so students can jump straight to the survey page with a quick scan.

Data Analysis: Actually Use the Data

Collecting data is just the first step. Using it well is what really matters.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center suggested that evaluation data works best when combined with other information—like peer observation notes, professors' own teaching reflections—to get a more complete picture.

SurveyMars automatically generates charts in the backend. You can see at a glance which questions scored high and which scored low. The data can also be exported to Excel or SPSS for deeper analysis.

Continuous Improvement: Surveys Need Updates Too

A survey isn't something you design once and use forever. After a few years, take another look: Are the original questions still relevant? Are there new aspects that should be added?

The University of Oklahoma spent three years testing and adjusting before finalizing their new evaluation survey. That kind of careful approach is worth learning from.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many questions should a Faculty evaluation survey ideally have?

A: Keeping it between 15 and 20 questions works well. Too many questions and students get tired of filling it out and might click randomly. Too few and you won't collect enough information. SurveyMars has a template library with many validated scales you can reference.

Q: How can we get more students to fill out the survey?

A: First, keep the survey short—aim for something that takes just a few minutes. Second, let students know their feedback is actually seen and actually makes a difference. Third, set aside class time for everyone to fill it out together—works much better than sending emails.

Q: Can evaluation results be used to decide faculty promotions?

A: They can, but be careful. It's better to use them as one reference point alongside peer reviews, teaching portfolios, and other materials. Relying on a single score to decide someone's promotion can be problematic.

Q: Are these surveys anonymous?

A: Yes, proper Faculty evaluation surveys are set up to be anonymous. That way students feel safe telling the truth, and the data collected is actually valuable. SurveyMars supports anonymous settings, so there's no worry about student information being exposed.

Q: After the data comes in, can professors see it?

A: Normally, professors can see the evaluation results for their own courses and use them to improve teaching. When the data is used for promotion decisions, there are specific processes in place to protect everyone's interests.

Faculty evaluation—on the surface it's just scoring your professors, but at a deeper level it affects the entire teaching quality of an institution. Choose the right tools, use the right methods, and make this survey genuinely valuable—for professors, for students, and for the school. Hope this article has been helpful, and feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.