Section I

1.1 Whereas: On May 24th 2017 the Senate approved motion 17/17-28 to create a task force on student evaluations with the charge of “evaluating and improving course evaluations and peer reviews with respect to reducing biases and improving validity, with the goal of improving teaching, learning, and equity.” (https://senate.uoregon.edu/entry/?Motions=US16/17-28)

1.2 Whereas: While student evaluations of teaching can be an important tool for evaluating and improving teaching and learning, there is substantial peer-reviewed evidence that student course evaluations of the sort used at UO are biased with respect to gender and race, and that the numerical scores are orthogonal to measures of teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes. (See for example Uttl, White and Gonzalez (2016) at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191491X16300323?via%3Dihub)

1.3 Whereas: There is also scholarly evidence that, unless conducted by trained evaluators using consistent methodology, peer (faculty) reviews of teaching of the sort often done by UO departments are ineffective at evaluating teaching and do not provide useful feedback for improvement.

1.4 Whereas: While in the past UO has required that only signed written student evaluations be provided to department heads and review committees to be used in instructor review, the UO Office of General Counsel’s interpretation of the relevant law is that student classroom survey evaluations of a faculty member’s classroom or lab performance must be anonymous. (See letter from the UO General Counsel’s Office)

Section II

2.1 Therefore: The Senate directs the Committee on Committees to create and staff a Continuous Improvement and Evaluation of Teaching Committee to include faculty, graduate student, undergraduate student, and ex-officio administrative representatives, and charged with collecting feedback from stakeholders and updating the Continuous Improvement and Evaluation of Teaching System (CIETS) as needed. The 17-point chart is appended to this motion. Senate approval will be required for any changes in the CIETS except those involving the wording of questions or design of the instruments.

2.2 Therefore: In Fall 2018 the committee will present to the Senate (for a vote) a disclaimer for faculty personnel committees, heads, and administrators to include in reports, if those reports continue to use numerical ratings from student course evaluations in tenure and promotion reviews, merit reviews, and other personnel matters. The disclaimer will address the problematic nature of those ratings, provide an explanation for why they are being used despite those problems and include other available information regarding faculty teaching (e.g. peer reviews, student comments, faculty self-evaluations). 

2.3 Therefore: As of Fall 2018 student evaluation surveys will be anonymous. Past signed written comments from previously collected student course evaluations can continue to be used in tenure and promotion reviews, merit reviews, and other personnel matters.

2.4 Therefore: Beginning with the Fall 2018 quarter, the University will adopt the Continuous Improvement and Evaluation of Teaching System (CIETS), starting with the following elements:

• A Midterm Student Experience Survey. This web-based anonymous survey will collect non-numerical course feedback that will be provided only to the instructor, for use in course improvement. (See spring 2018 pilot at https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6nCcC7UHM64Etil).
• An End-of-Term Instructor Reflection Survey. Available for optional use by the instructor and to be used for course improvement and evaluation. (See winter 2018 pilot at https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aa47C9OFZCiFt1r; and spring pilot as .pdf). 

2.5 Therefore: The committee will be charged with bringing the Senate a motion regarding the end of term student evaluation survey in Fall 2018. The current Course Evaluations will stay in place until a new version is approved by the Senate. 

• See winter 2018 pilot at https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ex1g0zh5aWMfwR7, and spring 2018 pilot as .pdf.

2.6 Therefore: The committee will be charged with bringing proposals to the Senate for a vote, no later than Fall 2019, motions on the following: 

• A Peer Review Framework with recommended instruments that units will customize to establish a consistent process and criteria for evaluation, with the goal of campus implementation by Fall 2020. (See initial framework at https://academicaffairs.uoregon.edu/sites/academicaffairs2.uoregon.edu/files/proposed_peer_review_framework_4.20.18.pdf).
• A Teaching Evaluation Framework that units will customize to establish a consistent process and criteria for evaluating teaching, with the goal of campus implementation by Fall 2021. (See initial framework at https://academicaffairs.uoregon.edu/sites/academicaffairs2.uoregon.edu/files/proposed_teaching_evaluation_framework_4.20.18.pdf)