SAIS FAQs
I
don't think the form I'm using is right for my
class.
There are eleven variations of the SAIS form for use in a variety of
courses. There are forms designed to assess courses that teach heuristic
methods, skill oriented courses, labs, clinical experience and distance
learning. Click here for a description
of each form. Please contact Elizabeth Pemberton at epembert@utk.edu or
by phone at 4-4373 for assistance in determining which form is best
suited for your course.
The SAIS forms are too general and don't allow for specific questions I'd like to ask.
There is an opportunity for colleges, departments and/or instructors to ask specific questions on the
back side of each form. Departmental Items and Individual Class Items can be used to ask more specific questions. Questions must be provided by the college, department or instructor as these sections act as an answer sheet. SAIS will provide a report that shows a percentage breakdown and a mean score for items in these sections.
Why are we using this particular system?
In 1995 the Faculty Senate introduced a program based on the evaluation system used at the University of Washington. The current system was put in to place by the Faculty Senate in 2000. UW has been studying and refining their Instruction of Assessment System for decades, testing the validity and reliability of questions and has been adopted by over 50 post-secondary institutions. UW
is home to some of the leading researchers in teaching assessment and those researchers have found new ways of using data for more meaningful evaluation of instruction.
Why does it take so long to get the results
of my evaluation?
Each semester, SAIS processes approximately 80,000 paper forms for 5,000 classes. We visually inspect each header and form to insure that it will go through the scanner. (If a form has two answers on a line, or if it has stray marks or has been filled out in ink, it will be rejected. If the green header has been filled out in ink or has coffee spilled on it, a new header must be manually filled out. If a personnel number has not been filled in, SAIS staff must look it up and fill it in so that it will scan.) Sometimes we receive materials for courses that are not in the timetable and must be manually added. Data cleanup takes more time than we'd like, but we value accuracy over everything else.
Why can't I get a report if fewer than five students fill out evaluations?
The Teaching Council recommended in 1995 that in order to preserve anonymity for students a report would not be generated for courses where fewer than five students have filled out evaluations. SAIS will scan courses submitted with fewer than five students so that instructors have evidence that they did participate in the process. Also, upon request SAIS will provide copies of the original scan forms to the instructor (within six months) so that they have some feedback.
Why can't students fill out one set of evaluation forms for courses with more than one instructor?
Evaluation forms ask specifically about the instructor's (singular) ability. If two or more instructors
are listed on a form it is impossible for us to determine which forms were completed for which instructor,
therefore results of these evaluations are not valid and could not be included in the SAIS college or university means.
Who sees the yellow open-ended comment sheets?
SAIS instructs departmental contacts to ensure that the blue and white envelopes are sealed and to keep the envelopes "in a secure and locked place until after grades have been submitted" at which time they are distributed to the appropriate instructor. Unless the department decides on a different procedure, the contents of these envelopes will be known only to the instructor.
Who "has the right" to
see evaluation materials?
Teaching evaluations are subject to the "Tennessee Open Records Law," which says that records of state agencies are open to inspection by any citizen of the state. According to the UT General Counsel's Office an instructor does not have to be informed prior to someone viewing a report. (Teaching evaluations are different than personnel records.) Also, departments may not hold up the request to view evaluations though they do have the right to charge individuals for copies and are allowed to make those copies within a reasonable time period.
What is the difference between SAIS and Tennessee
101?
SAIS is responsible for administering the teaching evaluation program on campus. Tennessee 101 is a service of the Student Government Association to aid students in choosing courses and instructors. Tennessee 101 uses eleven of the 33 items on SAIS forms for their evaluations. A report from Tennessee 101 is not the same as the official SAIS report.
How does online SAIS work?
Instructors must register for the online system by a mid-term deadline. Form choices and the open-ended comment sheet option are the same as the in-class option. The online system opens at the same time in-class evaluations are being conducted. SAIS sends an e-mail to students and faculty notifying them that the system is open and then sends up to five reminders to students who have not yet responded.
Why isn't my class automatically registered for online SAIS?
Currently participation in online SAIS is limited to those courses that register for
it. Since the number of courses that participate in the online evaluation program is still relatively low it is more
feasible to base the system on those who do want to participate rather than pull out those who don't.Therefore, instructors
must opt in to the system by mid-term in order to be included.
Is the response rate for online SAIS as bad as I've
heard it is?
The response rates are improving, from around 30% a few years ago to roughly 60%
for the past three semesters. We've found that instructor involvement in encouraging
students to participate along with increased contact from SAIS to non-respondents have been instrumental
in the improved response rates.
What if I have a complaint about SAIS?
The SAIS coordinator will make every effort to address and resolve issues instructors
have with SAIS. If, however, the issue is not resolved to the instructor's satisfaction,
an appeal may be made to the Faculty Senate's Teaching Council which has oversight of the SAIS program.