Business students’ perceptions of faculty evaluations

Abstract

Students are asked to evaluate faculty on a continual basis at most universities throughout the world, yet students have varying perceptions about the purpose and usefulness of these evaluations. While research has focused on the faculty issues regarding evaluations and their use in subsequent evaluation, yearly reviews, tenure decisions, and even post‐tenure review, little research has been conducted to evaluate student feelings on the evaluations. In a case study format, a random sample of College of Business Administration students from freshman to EMBA levels was polled about their perceptions of the student ratings of faculty. The results provide interesting insights into their perceptions as well as constructive ideas on how better to administer the evaluations and publish the results. Results can benefit not only business schools but also other colleges in improving the evaluation process and linking the results to other rewards and faculty improvement mechanisms.