OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON STUDENT EVALUATIONS OF TEACHING

February 18, 2020

KACA is officially endorsing the statement issued by the American Sociological Association with the other 21 scholarly associations about the current use of student evaluations as a primary measure of teaching effectiveness of the faculty in colleges and universities in North America.


Several patterns were identified in previously published research, cited in the ASA’s official statement, exhibiting that SETs systematically disadvantage women and minority faculty. 

They are:

1. Students rate female instructors lower than male instructors even when they both exhibit the same teaching behaviors (e.g. Boring, Ottoboni, and Stark 2016; MacNell, Driscol, and Hunt 2015).

2. Students evaluate Black and Asian faculty members less positively than White faculty, particularly among White male students (e.g. Bavishi, Madera, and Hebl 2010; Reid 2010; Smith and Hawkins 2011).

3. Faculty ethnicity and gender also influence how students evaluate instructor characteristics like leniency and warmth (Anderson and Smith 2005).

KACA’s official stands are following:

1.  We strongly oppose using SETs as the primary measure of teaching effectiveness in faculty review processes, and

2. We strongly encourage colleges and universities in North America to consider holistic methods of evaluating one’s teaching effectiveness, providing fair opportunities for women and minority teachers to advance their careers and be compensated for their achievements.
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About KACA:

Founded in 1978, Korean American Communication Association is the premier academic association for Korean American scholars engaged in research, teaching, and application of communication in various sectors of society with the highest standards and professional ethics.

Author: admin

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