What ’ s the “ Use ” of Student Rating s of Instruction for Administrators ? One University ’ s Experience

At most Canadian and American community colleges and universities, student ratings have been implemented as a means of evaluating course instruction. Although concerns regarding the validity of student ratings from instructors’ perspectives have been studied quite extensively, issues associated with the use of student ratings information by administrators have been largely ignored. In this study, we surveyed 52 administrators at a major Canadian university about the types of ratings they use, how useful they are, and their purpose. Our fi ndings indicate that administrators are interested in knowing about instructor characteristics and teaching procedures. In addition, ratings are being used for instructor and department evaluation as well as scheduling courses. In general, administrators regard student ratings positively and think that they are useful. However, they have some reservations.