By Valerie Gauman Lucas
The Student Government Association (SGA) unanimously passed two resolutions Wednesday to enable the results of the University’s Teacher Evaluations to be posted online after the end of each semester and to ensure that all University vending machines will be continuously on and accepting Dutch Debits.
The popular Web site, Ratemyprofessor.com, allows students to search, rate and review professors they have had class experience with. The site is considered by many to be a useful tool in selecting classes.
Professors are evaluated on categories ranging from the level of difficulty of the class to their personal appearance, or “hotness” (marked by a chili pepper.)
While the University does not allow such a casual rating system, there are evaluation forms for each class and professor that each student fills out at the end of the semester, which includes a comment section. The hand-written comments students submit go to the professor after a semester-long waiting period designed to ensure that a student’s grade does not change because of negative or positive comments. They also go to a ratings area that helps decide whether a professor receives tenure if such a decision is necessary.
The new resolution suggested that the student ratings should be posted online, as opposed to being stored in books in order to give students easier access to them.
“I think Akeem Mellis and Andrea Schwartz [who proposed the resolution] did a great job using many different sides in promoting their resolution such as students having the ability to evaluate a teacher before taking a class and also the benefits to the recycling program, which we have been emphasizing,” said Brent Weitzberg, sophomore SGA President.
The recycling program benefit Weitzberg referred to is the initiative to recycle the paper evaluation forms once the results are posted online.
However, Jessica Mendoza, a sophomore marketing major, complained that the resolution would be ineffective. ” I don’t think it would be that good. Not everybody has the same opinion about their professor,” said Mendoza. “Ratings often shift based on the attitude of the student and whether they were a good student or got a bad grade.”
The second resolution passed was designed to alleviate a relatively common occurrence: students cursing in frustration, or sighing with resigned despondence at the sight of the those three little lit up words, “– USE CASH ONLY.”
“We’ve all encountered dilemmas with the vending machines. If we want a soda or food, we should be able to buy them and at fair prices,” Weitzberg said. “I think a lot of students don’t carry money on them.”
The SGA hopes the initiative to get all the vending machines on campus up and running efficiently should be in place by the end of March 2008.
The unanimously-passed resolution met a great deal of support from students. “I was so frustrated when they accepted only cash. I work in Hammer Lab so it’s really annoying when they don’t work, ” said Mendoza.
Ashley Auger, a sophomore marketing major, echoed Mendoza’s excitement about having working vending machines, with a slight caveat. “I would like it better if it came off of the meal plan, though, instead of Dutch Debits.”
Victoria Frary, a freshman public relations major, also had a critique. “You should be able to use Dutch Debits at places off campus as well,” Frary said. “Vending machines are so unhealthy.”