Policy on the Public Release of Students' Ratings of Teaching Effectiveness
Approved by Senate - May 12, 1997
 
DISCLAIMER: If there is a discrepancy between this electronic policy and the written copy held by the Policy owner, the written copy prevails.
  1. Each Faculty shall release a summary of the responses to a single summative question contained in the Faculty's ratings form for each of the undergraduate courses offered during the preceding academic term. In the case of the School of Business, the policy shall apply also to MBA courses. The information released shall be the number of students selecting each response, the mean and median of all responses, the number of students responding, the number of students registered in the course, the text of the question, and the identity of the course and instructor. The results shall be organized by Department, School or Programme. If the number of students responding in a particular course is less than five, the course shall be listed with the notatio n "Fewer than Five Students' Responses". In this case, the summary of responses shall be omitted, but not the information on the identity of the course and instructor, the number of responses, and the number of students registered in the course.

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  2. Faculty members shall have the opportunity to approve, in writing, the public release of the summaries of the students' responses to the summative question. Department Chairs (or their equivalent) shall invite that approval by distributing a Univers ity-wide form before the beginning of the first term in which this policy comes into effect (or the first term of teaching in the case of those hired after the policy is implemented). Approval shall extend to all courses a faculty member offers and be gi ven for an indefinite period, but may be retracted before the beginning of any teaching term. Faculty members who decline to give their consent shall be given the opportunity, on an annual basis, to reconsider this decision. Those who elect not to opt i n to the public release shall have their courses listed with the notation "Instructor Declined to Give Permission for Release of Data." In this case, the summary of responses shall be omitted, but not the information on the identity of the course and ins tructor, the number of responses, and the number of students registered in the course. Electing not to opt in shall not be taken into account for purposes of determining merit increments, or in decisions affecting tenure or promotion.

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  3. Each Faculty shall collect the summaries of the students' responses to the summative question and forward them to the University Library and the McMaster Students Union. This shall be done by January 31 in the case of Term I courses, by May 31 in th e case of Term II and full-year courses, and by September 30 in the case of spring and summer courses. The University Librarian and the President of the McMaster Students Union (or their delegates) shall assume responsibility for the distribution of the data.

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  4. The CUPE collective agreement covering part-time instructors deems the results of students ratings of courses taught by part-time instructors to be personal information; the agreement also prohibits the release of personal information about part-time instructors. Accordingly, every course taught by a part-time instructor shall be listed with the notation "Part-time Instructor: Current Collective Agreement Covering Part-time Instructors Precludes Release of Data". In this case, the summary of respon ses shall be omitted, but not the information on the identity of the course and instructor, the number of responses, and the number of students registered in the course. It shall be the policy of the University to seek to amend the agreement to allow the public release of students' ratings of the teaching effectiveness of part-time instructors.

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  5. The practice of releasing summaries of students' responses to the summative question shall begin in January of 1998 with the release of data for Term I courses that commence in September of 1997. The policy shall be assessed in the Fall of 1999, tha t is, after a two-year trial period. The assessment shall take place under the auspices of the University Committee on Teaching and Learning, which includes representation from McMaster Students' Union. The group responsible for the assessment shall inc lude representation from the McMaster University Faculty Association.

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PUBLIC RELEASE OF STUDENTS' RATINGS OF TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS

It is the policy of McMaster University to release publicly, through the McMaster Students' Union (MSU) and the McMaster Library, a summary of students' responses to the summative question on the student course rating form. The purpose of the policy is t o provide students with information that may help them to choose their courses. The policy applies to every undergraduate or MBA course in which five students or more have provided responses to the summative question. Application of the policy also requ ires that an instructor grant permission for release of the summaries of students' responses. An instructor's permission, once granted, covers all undergraduate and MBA courses taught by that instructor, until and unless this permission is withdrawn.

The summary of students' responses to the summative question consists of the number of students selecting each possible response, and the mean and median of all responses. This is accompanied by the number of students responding, the number of students r egistered in the course, the text of the summative question, and the identity of the course and instructor.

The summary will not be released if any of the following conditions apply:

  1. the instructor has declined to grant permission to release the data;

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  2. the course was one in which fewer than five students responded;

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  3. the course was taught by an individual covered by the CUPE collective agreement for part-time instructors (the current agreement precludes release of the data).
When a summary is not released, the number of students responding, the number of students registered in the course, the text of the summative question, and the identity of the course and instructor will be provided to the MSU and the McMaster Library, tog ether with a notation that indicates which of the above conditions applies.

Responsibility for administering the opt-in procedure rests with the Department Chairs or their equivalents, who are required to distribute this brief statement of policy, together with the attached permission form, to faculty members. The form, if compl eted, signed, and returned, grants permission to the University to release, to the MSU and the McMaster Library, a summary of students' responses to the summative question on the student course rating form, for each undergraduate or MBA course taught by t he instructor. Electing not to opt in shall not be taken into account for purposes of determining merit increments, or in decisions affecting tenure or promotion.

The MSU has agreed to conditions on its use of the information thus released. Specifically, the information will be disseminated without editorial comment; disseminated electronically, with access restricted to current and incoming McMaster students; and available electronically for four academic years after the year in which the course was taught.

Both the MSU and the McMaster Library will also produce an annual paper publication that individuals will be able to consult at various places on campus (e.g., the MSU Information Centre). No restrictions will be placed on access to this publication, and issues from all prior years will be retained in the archives of the MSU and the McMaster Library.

The policy will be monitored by an implementation committee that includes representation from the MSU and the McMaster University Faculty Association (MUFA). The policy will be assessed after a two-year trial period by a committee operating under the aus pices of the University Committee on Teaching and Learning. This committee will also include representation from both the MSU and the MUFA.

By granting permission to McMaster University to release publicly, through the McMaster Students' Union (MSU) and the McMaster Library, a summary of students' responses to the summative question on the student course rating form, I understand that:

  1. the summary consists of the number of students selecting each response and the mean and median of all responses;

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  2. the MSU has agreed to disseminate the information without editorial comment or recommendation, to restrict electronic access to current and incoming McMaster students, and to maintain electronic access for no more than four academic years after the y ear in which the course is taught;

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  3. my permission covers any future undergraduate or MBA course taught by me (except courses already underway on the date permission is granted), until and unless I withdraw this permission;

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  4. I can withdraw this permission at any time by notifying my Chair (or equivalent), and such withdrawal will take effect with regard to all future undergraduate and MBA courses taught by me (except courses already underway on the date my permission is withdrawn) until and unless I grant permission once again;

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  5. should I exercise my right to withdraw, I shall be given an annual opportunity to grant permission once again;

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  6. should I exercise my right to withdraw, the information provided to the McMaster Students' Union and the McMaster Library will indicate, for each undergraduate or MBA course I teach, the number of students responding, the number of students registere d in the course, the text of the summative question, and the identity of the course and instructor, together with a notation stating that the instructor declined to give permission for release of the summary of students' responses;

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  7. the conditions governing the MSU's dissemination of the released information were drafted by a Senate- mandated implementation committee. This committee, which includes representation from both the MSU and the McMaster University Faculty Association , is also empowered to recommend modifications to the conditions.

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I grant/do not grant (circle whichever applies or delete whichever does not apply) permission for the release of a summary of students' responses to the summative question on the student course rating form.

Name (please print):
Department:
Faculty:
Date:
Signature:

(NB If this form is not returned, it will be presumed that the instructor has declined permission for the release.)

(Distribution: one copy to be retained by the signatory; one to be retained by the signatory's Department Chair; one to be retained by the signatory's Faculty Dean.)

Approved by Senate
May 12, 1997
Contact Department:University Secretariat
MUFA - pdk
October 1999