Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

46° Evanston, IL
Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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CTEC requirements spawn increase

The university’s move to restrict access to CTEC evaluations last quarter resulted in a 46 percent jump in the online response rate.

The increase in student participation will allow for more accurate teacher and course assessments, said Stephen Carr, a faculty member on the Course and Teacher Evaluation Council Advisory Board.

“With the online version (of the CTEC evaluation), students have more time to do the report … so the quality of the reports are more informative and more accurate,” said Carr, McCormick associate dean for undergraduate engineering. “When (filling out CTEC evaluations) was totally voluntary, only one out of two students did it.”

Last year, online CTEC evaluation response rates were at about 50 percent each quarter, while there was a 75 percent response rate for students whose professors provided the paper version of the CTEC evaluation. The online response rate jumped last quarter to 73 percent when students no longer had the option of filling out paper evaluations.

Beginning Fall Quarter, students could not view the CTEC evaluations if they had not completed their own forms online the previous quarter. Students must now provide their Net ID and password to access CTEC evaluations.

The increase in student responses last quarter will probably make the change permanent, said CTEC Director Nedra Hardy.

“The more students fill them out, the more valuable to them (CTECs) will be when they are choosing classes,” said Hardy, also senior assistant registrar.

The paper version of the CTEC evaluation was eliminated this academic year so students could take more time to fill it out and responses could be posted sooner.

Fall Quarter CTEC evaluations will be posted by the beginning of next week, unlike last year when they probably would not have been posted until Spring Quarter registration, Hardy said.

Philosophy Prof. Mark Sheldon said 86 percent of the students in his freshman seminar responded last quarter compared to 60 percent last year.

“I wish more students would fill them out. I learn a lot about how things are going in my class,” said Sheldon, who has never used CTEC’s paper version.

Holly Rehm, a Weinberg freshman, said she probably would not have finished CTEC evaluations without the requirement.

“It’s kind of hypocritical because I used CTECS a lot in the first two weeks of school,” Rehm said. “But … I’m glad I did them.”

Despite e-mails sent by the university, some students still were unaware of the consequences of not filling out the evaluations, Hardy said.

Mike Yao, a Weinberg junior, said he did not fill out any of his CTEC evaluations last quarter because he didn’t realize he would be unable to view them this quarter.

“I will fill them out (this quarter) because they’re important. And I need them to pick out my schedule,” Yao said.

Reach Helena Oh at [email protected]<.>

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Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881
CTEC requirements spawn increase