The University Council, formerly known as the Academic Council, discussed the progress of a plan to adopt an online Student Instructional Rating System, or SIRS, on Tuesday after learning about the success of a pilot study conducted last year.
The forms, which are typically given to students in paper form at the conclusion of each semester, are used to evaluate professors to improve the overall quality and efficiency of courses at MSU.
After reviewing the results, the University Committee on Academic Policy Subcommittee on Online SIRS recommended the implementation of grade sequestration to increase student response, a process that would deny students access to their final course grades for one week if they did not complete the form, said Ryan Sweeder, Lyman Briggs associate professor.
“Using this method, the student response rate went from 25 percent to 85 percent,” he said.
The adoption of online SIRS potentially could increase the response rate of students filling out the forms and minimize costs associated with paper used in the current form, Sweeder said.
But, hospitality business senior Jason Anys said requiring students to fill out the surveys last year didn’t drive him to submit his survey forms.
“I didn’t really care for it anyway,” he said.
Even though Anys didn’t fill out last year’s surveys himself, he said he supports making the policy mandatory for grade access for some programs.
“Sometimes, it’s good to take a survey like that before you get your grades,” he said.
The council also discussed plans for a campus-wide addressing project that will add locatable U.S. postal addresses to all buildings on campus.
The system will allow 911 dispatchers to determine the exact location where emergency responders are needed on campus, ultimately making for a more precise response time, MSU police Lt. Penny Fischer said at the meeting.
The addressing project is anticipated to be completed in April 2012.
MSU Provost Kim Wilcox also welcomed Linda Jackson, the university’s new faculty grievance official, during the meeting.
The faculty grievance official works with university administrators and professors to resolve pay disputes, contract issues and other formalities.
Jackson currently serves as a professor in the Department of Psychology.
Her appointment previously was confirmed by the Board of Trustees at its Sept. 9 meeting.
The university’s previous faculty grievance official John Revitte announced he would step down earlier this spring.
Prior to his appointment by the Board of Trustees in 2004, Revitte served as a professor of work, leisure and labor studies at MSU.
He will continue to assist Jackson during her transition as a consultant for about one year.
A search committee comprised of faculty from the University Committee on Faculty Affairs accepted applications this spring and summer before deciding on Jackson.
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