Rate My Professor - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jun 3, 2005

Rate My Professor

Date: Jun 3, 2005

You should pay attention to it. It is an anonymous way to receive real feedback from the students.

The feedback, or lack thereof, for professors at the end of the semester is probably lost in the bureaucratic shuffle of papers around the univeristy.

Plus this makes the feedback known to other students.

So what if your feedback from a number of students in one class is highly negative if nobody but your chum sees it?

Date: Jun 3, 2005

I have seen excellent teachers get bad reviews from students. The reason was the prof required the students to read the text, do homework, and study. The student's wanted the prof to read the book to them, not assign homework and they had no time to study because of their 35 hr a week job. They also wanted the prof to supply a study guide before tests, with the questions on the test part of the study guide. The prof refused. This was at USM.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

Pay attention wrote:

You should pay attention to it. It is an anonymous way to receive real feedback from the students. The feedback, or lack thereof, for professors at the end of the semester is probably lost in the bureaucratic shuffle of papers around the univeristy. Plus this makes the feedback known to other students. So what if your feedback from a number of students in one class is highly negative if nobody but your chum sees it?

I didn't discount it. I thought it was useful. However, I think the ratings and comments are negatively skewed because someon has to make an extra effort to post these. Students are more likely to do it if they are pissed off.

My feedback was positive so that's not why I say it. Just a theory.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

I looked up my rating - it was poor based on 3 respondents from 100-level classes - plus, one of the rankings was in a semester that I didn't even teach a course because I was on leave. Thus, my feeling is that the site is bogus.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

Stuff like this is really bogus. Only students with strong feelings (usually negative) will take time to go rate a prof, which is the problem with USM's online evals. There is no evaluation system on campus that means anything anymore. I guess chemists and interior designers never take stats -- at least two I know apparently know nothing about biased samples.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

For all its worth, I have rated my past professors on that site and have given positive feedback not negative. I also filled out the USM online eval. I know of several of my fellow classmates that have done the same. Granted, I am a non traditional undergrad so my age might have something to do with it.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

I've spent a lot of time on this site for a research project and know it well. My strong sense is that the information is "on average" useful with two caveats. One there are small sample issues especially with USM. Our students are not as active there as say Auburn. Second, there are some very good teachers with very bimodal ratings. This fits the instructor that maybe should have been at Millsaps but landed at Auburn. Half the students love him/her and half think they stink. Bottom line is don't take the information as gospel but don't just assume that it is trash either.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

If I were the teacher, I would pay attention to the comments. I was struck by several tht commented on male teachers flirting or partying with students. Instructors should heed remarks like that -- it's not a good thing.

by the way, loved the comments on D. Thames.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

Nothing at that site prevents anyone from rating any professor, even one that they have not had as an instructor. Hell, you don't even have to be a student at that school to comment about an instructor. You can just go in there and make stuff up about anyone that you like (or don't like). I know of three such cases on my own campus, where instructors have received faked evaluations/comments at that site. It's easy, and it's dangerous. In all three of the cases I know about, the information entered into the site was negative, more "gossip" than anything, hinting at allegations of sexual misconduct by the instructor. Any administration that ever chooses to use info obtained from a site designed like that one would be open to tons of litigation.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

Other MS Prof wrote:

Nothing at that site prevents anyone from rating any professor, even one that they have not had as an instructor. Hell, you don't even have to be a student at that school to comment about an instructor. You can just go in there and make stuff up about anyone that you like (or don't like). I know of three such cases on my own campus, where instructors have received faked evaluations/comments at that site. It's easy, and it's dangerous. In all three of the cases I know about, the information entered into the site was negative, more "gossip" than anything, hinting at allegations of sexual misconduct by the instructor. Any administration that ever chooses to use info obtained from a site designed like that one would be open to tons of litigation.

Very well put. At its best, that site has entertainment value. At its worst, it is cruel and dishonest. Does anyboldy know where the funds come from to maintain it? If they come from USM funds, the legislature should give serious thought to a budget cutback.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

ABD wrote:

What is your take on it?

Two (of four) categories rate the teachers on "hotness" and "easiness." Please don't tell me I need to take this seriously.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

USM funds go to support another site --- pickaprof.com. It's a similar site, and the SGA got USM to put funds toward it when Jared Loftus was SGA president, 2002-2003, Thames' first full academic year as president.

You have to have an account, logon, etc. to use this site. It's a better filter than the one everyone in this thread is referring to. You can check it out.

Date: Jun 3, 2005

I just made up an identity, registered on pickaprof, and left an evaluation on a random professor. This site is NO BETTER that any of the others I have seen that do this. If you don't believe me, I recommend that you try it out yourself. In fact, give your best faculty friend a great evaluation. Make a party out of it. Drinks all around, while everyone says wonderful things about each other.

Date: Jun 4, 2005

It's somewhat interesting to read student response's because one gets to see their thought process, some seem fair and accurate (I've had some of these professors before), and others unfair by apparently bitter students placing blame on the professor for their subpar grade, but other than that I would hardly take some of their comments to heart.