THE FACTS: Students have until Dec. 9 to finish class evaluations, in which they have the opportunity to rate their classes and instructors while providing additional comments beyond the basic survey.



OUR OPINION: Despite the pressures of exams and other work during Dead Week, students should take the time to contribute meaningful feedback in their class evaluations.



With Dead Week coming to a close and exams around the corner, students already have quite a bit to worry about. Class evaluations seem to be low on the list.

This is the wrong attitude for students to take.

In spite of all the other burdens they face this time of the semester, students need to take these class evaluations seriously — these evaluations provide students the one opportunity to make their feelings about the quality of instruction at this University clear. If students put months of their lives into working to pass a class, then they should and need to take advantage of the opportunity to take a few extra minutes and give valuable feedback regarding the course.

Naturally, evaluations tend to be polarizing, completed mostly by students who either adore or detest the course or instructor. Yet even if students do not have such strong opinions, they still should complete the evaluations and try to address a few concerns or suggestions regarding the minor aspects of the class that could have made the class more interesting or engaging.

The evaluations are especially important for graduate students who teach classes — unlike tenured professors, student instructors depend on the feedback, particularly if they are required to teach later classes.

But students do need to try to be constructive with their criticism. It’s one thing to think a professor is the worst person on the face of the earth, but to say so in an evaluation does little to address specific problems about the way the professor teaches the course, the amount of work required for the course or the structure of the curriculum. If students have an issue with the amount of homework or the length of tests given the amount of time permitted by a one hour class, then they should say so. This is useful feedback.

Students have limited say in many of the issues and orders of business at this University. But class evaluations are one of the few meaningful opportunities where they can push for changes in one of the University’s prime objectives: education.