Student Rating of Courses and Teaching

information and dates

Beginning with the Fall 2026 semester, the all-college student ratings of courses and teaching will solely be administered online.  To facilitate online ratings, the College is now using SmartEvals software.  Students will access their forms via emailed links and on their landing page in theSpring.  Additionally, instructors will be able to display a QR code for their course that students can scan to complete the form.  Forms will open to students on a rolling basis depending on course end dates (e.g., short-term courses).  Instructors will receive response rate updates via emails during the administration period.

timeline

• Term: Fall 2026
• Withdrawal Deadline: November 12, 2026
  • Changes to course enrollments must be made by this date to ensure the correct students receive forms.
• Last Day of Classes: December 11, 2026
• Start of Exam Week: December 15, 2026
• Grades Due Date: January 4, 2027

exclusions

The following student course registration types and courses do not participate in ratings and will not receive a link to participate:

• Auditor
• Independent Study
• Senior Thesis
• Internship

BIAS STATEMENT

This statement is at the top of the ratings form and should be read in class (see more below).

“Student ratings of teaching play an important role in the review of instructors. Skidmore College recognizes that unconscious and unintentional bias may emerge from perceptions of the instructor's race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, first language, religious and spiritual tradition, age, ability, and socioeconomic status. Research on American higher education has shown that women and instructors of color are systematically rated lower than white men, even when there are no actual differences in the instruction or in what students have learned.

As you fill out the course ratings, please keep this in mind and make an effort to resist bias. Focus on the content of the course (the assignments, the textbook, the in-class material) and teaching effectiveness, and not unrelated matters (e.g., the instructor's appearance).”

faculty expectations and information

The College is encouraging best practices to maximize response rates and minimize bias, and we need your assistance. CEPP and the DOF/VPAA ask instructors to follow these practices:

• Instructors will receive an email approximately 2 weeks before the ratings period opens for students. It will contain the courses to be rated for that instructor. Please review the course list. If you see discrepancies (e.g., missing courses, courses that should be excluded, etc.), please email Kerry Nelson (or call x8309) as soon as possible and provide a brief description of the issue.
• Choose a class meeting date before the last day of your class to allow students to complete their form in class, as forms will be closed shortly after the last day of classes and they will NOT be available to students during Exam Week.
• Announce the date you will ask students to complete the form and ask them to bring a device (laptop, tablet, or phone) to class.
• Designate in-class time for completing student ratings of courses and teaching. Allow at least 10-15 minutes for students to give thoughtful responses.  
• Tell students that you appreciate their feedback. Encourage them to complete the ratings by talking about ratings during class.  Let students know that you will review their feedback and use it to inform changes.  Share how you have used student feedback in the past.
• Inform students that their responses are anonymous (SmartEvals prevents Skidmore from matching responses to student names), and that instructors will only see results after grades are released.
• Assign a student or someone other than the instructor to read the Skidmore biases in course ratings statement (above) in class before time is given to take the form. Some students may have completed the course rating already; however, you are still expected to provide class time for all students to complete their forms.
• Links will be emailed to students and placed on their landing page in theSpring. Additionally, you (the instructor) may log into the SmartEvals MyEvalCenter and display the QR code on a screen. If needed, students can scan the code and complete the forms.
• Remind students to work independently and not talk during the designated time.
• The instructor must leave the room while students complete the forms.
• Reports with results will not be sent to you until after the College’s grade due date. They will come via email from evaluations@smartevals.com.  If you have not received your reports, email Kerry Nelson for assistance.

smartevals

• Instructor Training Series (not all of the functionality presented here is used by Skidmore)

DEPARTMENT CHAIRS, PROGRAM DIRECTORS, & ASSISTANTS

• Chairs & Program Directors and their Department/Program Assistants will have department-level access to SmartEvals. This will allow them to see all of the information for their department or program.
• Approximately 2 weeks before the ratings forms are made available to students, every instructor will receive a list of their course offerings that will be rated. They should review this list and report concerns to IR immediately.
• Additionally, Chairs, Program Directors, and Department/Program Assistants should log into SmartEvals and review the courses being rated for their Department/Program as a whole. Again, any concerns should be reported to IR immediately.
• Reports will be emailed to individual instructors and departments from SmartEvals (evaluations@smartevals.com) after the grade deadline has passed. Reports will also be accessible on the SmartEvals website. 

STUDENTS

• Watch for your course rating links. You will receive links by email from evaluations@smartevals.com, and they will also be available on your landing page in theSpring. Your instructor may also display a QR code in class.
• Complete your ratings before Exam Week. Course rating forms close shortly after the last day of classes and are not available during Exam Week.
• Bring a device to class. Your instructor will designate class time for completing the ratings. Bring a laptop, tablet, or phone so you can access the form.
• Allow 10–15 minutes. Take time to provide thoughtful, constructive feedback about the course and your learning experience.
• Complete your ratings independently. Please do not discuss your responses with other students while completing the form.
• Your responses are anonymous. SmartEvals prevents Skidmore from matching your responses to your name.
• Your instructor will not see results until after grades are submitted. Instructors receive course rating reports only after the College’s grade due date.

Your thoughtful feedback helps instructors understand students’ experiences and can inform future improvements to courses and teaching.

All-college reports for Faculty, Chairs and program directors

Information regarding understanding your results, all-college averages, and research studies can be found here (password required-faculty only).

If questions or problems arise, please email Kerry Nelson or call x8309 and include: instructor’s name, department, course title, course number, and course section.