Should students be allowed to evaluate their professors?

Is the feedback taken into consideration or is it just a waste of time?

Oluwatomike Bali
Staff Writer

It is a common practice in most universities, Minnesota State University, Mankato included, for students to assess their professors, usually towards the end of a semester.

This brings up the question of if students should be allowed to grade their professors. Is it a true test of their ability?

Personally, I believe students should be allowed to evaluate their professor as that helps to keep them in check and also to enables the students to exercise their rights. However, I am more concerned, if anything, about what is being done with the feedback sheets because I have come to realize that some of the professors still go ahead and do the same things that students complained about previously.

Going around to ask some students about their opinion on this topic, the majority of the students I spoke to agreed that teachers should be evaluated by students because it’s easier for the students to give better, unbiased judgement of the professor’s performance.

According to Grace Akinsanya, a student in film and media studies, she believes that “evaluating the professor also helps the teacher to grow and understand the students’ strengths and weaknesses.”

“It also helps them understands the students’ growth levels and how to relate with them well,” Akinsanya said. She further stated that evaluations help professors “see things from the student’s perspective.”

Speaking with another student, Nzallah Whong, a student in aviation, she said it could or could not be helpful, depending on how it is utilized.

“It is not a true test of the teacher’s ability, as some students will judge according to how well they do in class,” said Whong. “If I am doing well in class, I am more likely to ignore the teacher’s mistakes, but If I am doing poorly in class, I will be more inclined to use the teacher mistakes as an excuse for failing.”

In conclusion, students evaluating their professors can be a tool for the administration to monitor how effective the professors are at their job.

Photo: (Courtesy of pxhere)