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The University of Tennessee

Office of Institutional Research & Assessment

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Guidelines for In-Class SAIS Administration


Requirement That All Courses Be Evaluated:

As mandated by the Faculty Senate, all courses taught at UT must be evaluated using one of the eleven SAIS scan forms. This includes not only classes taught by tenure-track and tenured faculty, but also GTAs, instructors, adjunct appointees, or visiting professors. Only when a course's enrollment is less than five students is the instructor not evaluated. In order to maintain students' confidentiality and to produce reports with a degree of statistical reliability, no report is generated when SAIS receives an envelope with four or fewer completed evaluation forms.

Preparing The Evaluation Packets:


1- Preprinted Green Header Forms

The green header form identifies the course and instructor being evaluated. The information scanned from this form is printed on the evaluation reports. Most problems result when departments complete the green header form incorrectly.

Click here for a sample green header.


A green header form must be filled out for every instructor being evaluated. If several instructors teach the same section, each must have his or her own green header form, as well as separate survey forms that are returned in a separate envelope.

A preprinted green header form is provided for every course listing that appears in the SIS database. The semester/year, course #, section #, course name, department name, and department # have been completed on the preprinted green header forms. The department completes the other items on the form.

The box at the top right of the green header form must be completely filled out. The green header form has been designed so that the information in this box can be read through the reusable envelope's window.

The following information MUST be handwritten or typed in the box at the top of all green header forms (preprinted and blank):

  • Instructor name, course #, section #, name of course, and name of department. (Pre-printed headers will have all but the instructor's name already written out.)

  • Envelope # ____ of ____. This information must be completed for team-taught courses or when a large lecture class requires so many forms that more than one envelope is needed to hold them.

  • Departmental Deadline. Record the deadline and the place where the student administrator is to return the completed evaluations. (example: December 10 to Julie Harden, 317 Claxton Add.) The departmental deadline should be determined according to the amount of time needed to prepare for the first day scheduled for pick-up.


The following items MUST be completed and bubbled in with A NUMBER 2 PENCIL. Be sure to fill in all the bubbles.

  • Instructor's Name and Personnel Number. The computer will not scan the evaluations without the instructor's name and personnel number bubbled in.

  • Instructor's Signature. The green header form is to be signed by the instructor after s/he has checked for and corrected any mistakes. The instructor should notify the departmental office of any changes or mistakes.


2- Blank Green Header Forms
Blank green header forms have been included for sections that have more than one instructor or are not on the course list.

In addition to the information which MUST be bubbled in on ALL green header forms, the grids for the semester/year, department #, course #, and section # must be completed also when using a blank form.


3- Student Survey Forms

Instructors may choose from eleven different student survey scan forms. They are lettered A-J and X. Copies of the forms and a description of each form type is available online. Each of the forms is printed in a different color The type of class for which the form was designed originally and the form color are listed as follows:

Form
Color
Type of class

SAIS delivers the total number of each form requested by your department plus an extra 10 percent. The department packs these forms along with the green header form in the appropriate instructor's envelope. If you have questions about the distribution of individual forms, you should contact the representative from your department who placed the order for the forms. SAIS does not have a list for individual instructors' form requests; this information is gathered by and kept in the department. Please note: Photocopies of forms or downloaded forms from the website cannot be processed, so should you need additional forms, call (x4373) and we will send them to you.

Each envelope prepared should be filled with enough of the appropriate student survey forms for every student enrolled in the section. To determine enrollment for a section, consult the department's management report.

There are two potential situations which might lead to confusion in determining the correct number of student survey forms:

  • When a course is CROSS-LISTED with another department, but based in your department, the enrollment number on the course list MAY NOT BE CORRECT. In this case check with the instructor to be sure of the enrollment. Remember, courses are evaluated only by the department which actually "owns" the course.

  • Because separate envelopes and green headers are used for each instructor being evaluated in a TEAM-TAUGHT class, each envelope should have enough student survey forms for every member of the class. A helpful form to be placed on envelopes of TEAM-TAUGHT courses is listed below.


4- Form for Team-Taught Classes

NOTICE FOR TEAM-TAUGHT CLASSES

There are multiple instructors being evaluated in this class. There is a separate envelope, set of survey forms, and green header form for each instructor. This is envelope ____ of ____ envelopes; please use the evaluations in this envelope to evaluate ____________________ . (NAME OF INSTRUCTOR)

In order to assure that these evaluations are accurate, hand out the materials from this envelope, allow your classmates to complete the evaluations, and collect these materials before opening the next envelope.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS IMPORTANT PROGRAM!

 


 5- Departmental and Individual Class Items

Departments as a whole and individual faculty may ask up to fifteen of their own questions. Students answer these questions on the back of the SAIS scan forms. If your department or individual instructors use an additional questionnaire, insert these copies into the manila window envelope. When the envelope is returned to the departmental office by the student administrator, remove the questionnaires and keep them in the department to be used again in future semesters.



6- Reusable Window Envelopes

Every manila window envelope should contain one green header and enough student survey forms for every student enrolled in the section.

For sections that have more than one instructor, prepare as many envelopes as there are instructors being evaluated. If your department is evaluating more than one instructor for a particular course you should do the following:

  • Prepare a separate envelope for each instructor being evaluated.
  • Rubber band the envelopes together with the special instruction sheet for evaluating multiple instructors attached to each envelope (located above)
Note

The envelopes used for the SAIS student survey forms are reusable; therefore, it is important that you do not write on them or affix stickers to the envelope or window. Please cross out previous markings if necessary. Be sure that the green header forms are positioned at the front of the envelope where the information section (box containing the seal at the top of the form) can be read through the envelope's window.

Many departments prepare a memo that summarizes and highlights the directions printed on the back of the envelope. Often problems with report generation can be avoided if these instructions are brought to the attention of the instructors. A sample memo is included below.



7- Sample Departmental Instruction Letter to Faculty



MEMORANDUM
TO: English Faculty
FROM: Kristina
DATE: April 5, 2009
SUBJECT SAIS Teaching Evaluation for Spring 2009
 

Your Spring 2009 Teaching Evaluations are ready for pick up in my office (311 McCT). These evaluations are mandatory. You do, however, have some flexibility as to when they are administered. The completed evaluation packets will be picked up from me by SAIS staff after May 6. If you prefer to give your evaluations with the final exam AND your exam is May 5, you may do so, but please notify me. (Evaluation packets must be hand-delivered to The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, 2538 Dunford Hall. no later than May 13.)

NO EVALUATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER May 13.

Boxes of small pencils are available in my office.You (the instructor) must not be present during the evaluation. Please appoint a Student Administrator to oversee the evaluation and return the forms directly to me in the departmental office. (Make a note of who is responsible for returning the evaluations in case they don't show up.)

IMPORTANT BEFORE THE EVALUATIONS ARE ADMINISTERED, PLEASE CHECK THE GREEN AND WHITE HEADER FORM IN THE ENVELOPE AND SIGN AND DATE, APPROVING THE INFORMATION PROVIDED. IF AN ERROR IS FOUND, PLEASE MAKE CORRECTIONS AND LET US KNOW.

Thank you.





8- Yellow Open-Ended Student Comment Sheet

The Yellow Open-Ended Student Comment Sheet is an optional form. SAIS will provide the number of forms the department requests (if any) as well as separate envelopes, gum-sealed and printed in blue ink, in which to store these open-ended questions. As with the manila window-envelope, the department prepares the gum-sealed envelope with enough yellow open-ended student comment sheets for every student enrolled in the section. To determine enrollment for a section, consult either the SIS list or your own list, whichever you believe to be more accurate.

The student administrator will place the completed yellow sheets in the blue and white envelope, seal it, and return it to the departmental office, along with the manila window-envelope containing the completed student scan forms. These yellow open-ended student comment sheets will NOT be returned to SAIS. The department retains the envelopes in a secure and locked place until after grades have been submitted and then distributes the envelopes to the appropriate instructor. Unless the department decides upon a different procedure, the contents of these envelopes will be known only to the instructor. No other copies will be made or retained. A copy of the Student Comment Sheet is located online.

Completing the Logs and Envelope Pick-Up

Once a student administrator returns the manila window envelope containing completed student survey forms to your office, log the envelope in on a green and white log form. Complete the first four columns on the form, noting the instructor's name, course number, section number, and the letter of the form used.

In order to facilitate SAIS's pick up of the envelopes, we ask for your cooperation in storing them in the same order in which they are logged. When an SAIS staff member comes to pick up your completed evaluation envelopes, s/he will check off the envelopes in the SAIS column, indicating which envelopes s/he has received, and circling those envelopes not received. A copy of the log will be given to you as a receipt. Having the envelopes in the same order as they are listed on the log will decrease greatly the time that the SAIS staff member is "in the way" in your office.

 

SAIS Reports


9- Report Delivery

Two copies of the evaluation results are delivered to the departments. The department head distributes one report copy to the appropriate faculty member and retains the second copy for his or her files. One copy of the departmental and individual results will be delivered as well for those participating departments and instructors.


10- Listings of:

  • Reports Printed
  • Reports Not Printed
  • Reports Missing

A listing of reports generated accompanies the reports. Normally, there should be an entry on the "Reports Printed" list to correspond with every envelope marked as received by SAIS on the log of envelopes received. If an envelope contained fewer than five completed scan forms, a report was not generated for that section, and the class will appear on the "Reports Not Printed" list. If a course section is not included on either the "Reports Printed" or "Reports Not Printed" lists, it will appear on the "Courses Not Evaluated" list. Class sections such as thesis and dissertation hours and independent study will appear on the "Not Evaluated" list. Courses for which no completed evaluation forms were included in the envelope or team-taught courses where two or more instructors were evaluated on the same form will appear also on the "Not Evaluated" list.

11- Requests for Copies of Original Evaluation Forms and Reports

If there are any questions about evaluation results, the instructor may request copies of the original scan forms, which SAIS archives for six months. Institutional Research and Assessment will provide an instructor with a replacement copy of a SAIS report beginning with the Spring 2000 semester. SAIS does not, however, receive or retain copies of the yellow open-ended student comment sheets. Departments give these sheets back to the instructor after grades have been submitted. No other copies of them are made or retained.




Tennessee 101

The Student Government Association (SGA) publishes results of SAIS in Tennessee 101.

 

Open Records Law

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. The UT General Counsel's Office has advised us of the following if an individual asks to view an instructor's teaching evaluations in the departmental office:

  • There is no requirement that the instructor be informed prior to someone's viewing a report. (This is different from personnel records.)

  • Departments are not allowed to hold up the request to view evaluations.

  • The individual may request copies of the evaluations. The department does have the right to charge for the request and make the copies within a reasonable time period.

If you have any questions concerning these issues, please contact the Office of the General Counsel and Secretary at x3247.