Handbook of Operating Procedures 2-2180

Course and Teaching Evaluations


Effective May 22, 2024
Executive Sponsor: Executive Vice President and Provost
Policy Owner: Assistant Vice Provost of Academic Technology

 

  1. Policy Statement

The University of Texas at Austin ("University") evaluates all organized undergraduate and graduate course sections, including Option III courses, and the instructors of record assigned to those courses to drive teaching excellence and support continuous improvement in teaching and learning experiences.
 

  1. Reason for Policy

The University evaluates organized courses using the official Course Evaluation System (CES) and publishes the results of those evaluations in accordance with Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter N, Public Access to Course Information, §§4.225 - 4.228. Texas Education Code Section 51.942, and Regents' Rules 31102 and 30501. HOP 2-2160, HOP 2-2150, and HOP 2-2151.
 

  1. Scope & Audience

This policy applies to all instructors, department chairs, deans and other academic administrators.
 

  1. Definitions (specific to this policy)

Instructor of Record:
The instructor assigned in the University's course scheduling system to teach a specific course section as identified by unique number. 

Core Questions: 
A set of common questions about the course and the instructor that are included on all course evaluation surveys.

Course Evaluation System:
The official software system used by The University of Texas at Austin to evaluate courses and instruction, managed by the Office of Academic Technology.

Course Section: 
A section of a course identified by a unique number in the course scheduling system. An instructor of record may teach multiple course sections that meet together.

Individual Instruction Courses:
Courses scheduled in the course scheduling system with the instructional types Practicum, Independent Study, Private Lesson, Thesis, Dissertation, Individualized Instruction, or Clinical Individualized Instruction.

Instruction Modes:
The mode of instruction listed in the course schedule and defined by the University registrar.

Option I courses:
Courses offered through traditional, formula-funded programs.
 
Option III courses:
Courses offered through non-formula-funded programs.

Organized Courses:
Courses scheduled in the course scheduling system with the instructional types Lecture, Lab, Seminar, or Clinical Organized.

Policy Exception Request:
Requests to deviate from the official course evaluation procedures specified in the course evaluation policy.

Supervisor:
The supervisor of an instructor of record will typically be the department chair (in a departmentalized school or college) or the dean (in a non-departmentalized school or college).

University Extension Courses:
Courses offered through the University Extension.

Unique Number:
Number assigned to a course section by the Office of the Registrar in the course scheduling system.

 

  1. Website (for policy)

https://secure4.compliancebridge.com/utexas/public/getdoc.php?file=2-2180
 

  1. Contacts

CONTACT

DETAILS

WEB

Office of Academic Technology, Course Evaluation System


Phone: 512-471-4363

Website:
https://testingservices.utexas.edu/cis

https://utexas.box.com/v/cespolicystatement
 
  1. Responsibilities & Procedures

 

  1. Responsibilities

 

  1. The Office of Academic Technology is the University authority responsible for oversight and administration of the University's Course Evaluation System, processes, and policies.
 
  1. Instructors and Academic Administrators are responsible for understanding the University's course evaluation policy and following the course evaluation processes outlined by the Office of Academic Technology.
 
  1. Supervisors are responsible for assigning a course evaluation liaison for their unit who will be responsible for the overall implementation of the course evaluation policy within their units, including following all operational procedures and meeting all operational deadlines.
 
  1. Any unit that offers organized dual-credit or concurrent enrollment courses for credit that does not use the University’s Course Evaluation System is required to maintain an official system of administering end-of-course student evaluations of faculty. These units must make the results of evaluations publicly available on their websites, and submit documentation of their course evaluation processes to the Office of Academic Technology on an annual basis. Deadlines and instructions for submitting documentation are available on the Course Evaluation System website.

 

  1. Eligible Courses and Instructors

Each semester, the University evaluates all organized undergraduate and graduate course sections contained in the University’s course schedule (including Option III courses) and their assigned instructors of record using the University's official Course Evaluation System.

An organized course will be exempted from this policy if any of the following are true:
      (1) fewer than 5 students are enrolled in the course at the time of the evaluation
      (2) the course is a zero-credit-hour course
      (3) end-of-course evaluations are being administered through Dell Medical School,  
      University Extension, or another dual credit or concurrent enrollment unit, as confirmed
      by the Office of Academic Technology. 
          
Units or instructors of record can request an evaluation of an exempted course by submitting a course evaluation policy exception request. The deadlines and instructions for submitting policy exception requests are published on the Course Evaluation System website. If a policy exception request is approved, the evaluation results will be published according to Section G.
 
  1. Eligible Students

Course and instructor evaluations will only be distributed to students officially enrolled in a University course section at the time of evaluation. Students auditing a course are not eligible to complete course evaluations using the Course Evaluation System.
 
  1. Evaluation Timeline

The timeline for course evaluations will be published on the Course Evaluation System website at the beginning of each semester.  Requests to modify the course evaluation schedule for any course section must meet specified criteria and be submitted to the Office of Academic Technology for approval within the stipulated timeline. The process and timelines for policy exception requests are accessible on the Course Evaluation System website.
 
  1. Course Evaluation Content

The University will evaluate each organized course using the same set of core questions. Optional questions may be available for addition to the course evaluation survey by the instructor of record or the college or school.  Details about optional question selection are available on the course evaluation website.

The Office of Academic Technology will initiate a review of core questions every three years by a working group of faculty, administrators, and students. Recommendations for changes will be evaluated by the Offices of Academic Affairs and Faculty Affairs, with final approval by the Executive Vice President and Provost.
 
  1. Administration

 

  1. Instructors shall not be present during the administration of an end-of-course evaluation.

 

  1. Students are not required to complete an end-of-course evaluation.  However, the process is enhanced by broad student participation.
 
  1. Reporting

 

  1. Publication of Internal Summary Reports. For each instructional term, the instructor of record, their supervisor, and authorized University administrators will receive a copy of individual course evaluation results with at least one respondent within two weeks of the published end-date of the regular evaluation period, or the close of an evaluation, whichever is later. Student responses to optional questions added by instructors are only available to individual instructors.

 

  1. Restricted and Public Results Sites.  For reports with more than four respondents, the University publishes a subset of course evaluation results accessible to individuals with an active UTEID, including students, each semester. In addition, the University publishes a smaller subset of those results publicly, per University policy and  Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter N, Public Access to Course Information, §§4.225 - 4.228.  Responses to optional questions added by instructors are not included in the UTEID or public reports. Student comments are not included in the UTEID or public reports. All student feedback is reported anonymously in course evaluation reports. Information on accessing different report types is available on the Course Evaluation System website. Dell Medical School, University Extension, and dual-credit or dual-enrollment entities are responsible for making evaluations publicly available on their websites.
 
  1. Report Retention and Privacy. Course evaluation reports are official University records and are subject to FERPA, PTIA, PORA and records retention.  Results cannot be altered or deleted after being recorded by the Course Evaluation System.
 
  1. Handling Errors in Individual CES Reports. Instructors of record evaluated through the University’s CES will be provided with an opportunity to request a review of perceived erroneous results in their course evaluations.  Review criteria and process are detailed on the Course Evaluation System website. The review will be conducted by the Office of Academic Technology, with consultation by the Offices of Faculty Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Legal Affairs teams as needed.  If an erroneous result is found to have occurred, a memo or "letter of explanation" will be sent to the instructor of record and their supervisor for their records.  Faculty evaluated by Dell Medical School, University Extension or another dual-credit or dual-enrollment unit should contact those units directly if an error is suspected.

 

  1. Forms & Tools

Course Evaluation System Access

Access to Course Evaluation Results

Course Evaluation Policy Statement and Guidelines

Training and Guides
 

  1. Frequently Asked Questions

Course Evaluation System FAQs

Faculty Evaluation

Promotion and Tenure
 

  1. Related Information

Regents' Rules and Regulations, Rule 30501 Employee Evaluations

Regents' Rules and Regulations, Rule 31008 Termination of a Faculty Member

Regents' Rules and Regulations, Rule 31102 Evaluation of Tenured Faculty

Texas Education Code Section 51.942, 

Handbook of Operating Procedures 2-2160, Recommendations Regarding Faculty Compensation, Faculty Promotion, Tenure, Renewal of Appointment, or Nonrenewal of Appointment

Handbook of Operating Procedures 2-2150, Comprehensive Periodic Evaluation of Tenured Faculty

Handbook of Operating Procedures 2-2151, Annual Evaluation of Faculty
 

  1. History

Origination Date: May 22, 2024

Next scheduled review date: May 2027