Question of the Month

At the end of each quarter, students fill out an evaluation for each of their classes...

1.     What do you think the purpose of student evaluation is?

2.     Would you prefer to do the evaluations online?  If so, why? 

Student evaluation of professors?  I think it is imperative if we are to maintain a democratic institution.  Because the evaluation affects tenure, promotion, etc... students have the responsibility to evaluate their experience of a class, which is largely determined by the professor.

I do not think that if given the opportunity there would be as large a student response online as there is when evaluations are administered in class.

1. What do you think the purpose of student evaluation is?

So students can pretend their opinions matter.

2. Would you prefer to do the evaluations online? If so, why?

It'd be a lot easier to write the evaluations online than by hand, especially if you have a lot to say.  It's supposed to be confidential, but if it's to be done online it's not all that hard to track an IP address - especially if it's being done on campus.

Currently, tuition for resident undergraduates at WWU is $5,535 annually. With the current state budget crisis and the potential for significant cuts to higher education, some have called for large increases in tuition to maintain quality, for example small class size, access to courses and caliber of professors.

If tuition was raised 15% annually for two years (to $6365 the first year and $7320 the second), what effect would this have on you?

Would you be in favor of this type of increase? Explain why or why not.
 

No offense, but why would anyone be stoked out on the fact that tuition is going up.

That's like saying "gas is going up to $5 a gallon, are you in favor of this increase?"

I can understand how the question can be confusing. To clarify, the raise in tuition would be to secure that Western continues to maintain its high quality characteristics, such as smaller class sizes and access to specialized courses and professors. If we do not raise tuition due to the budget crisis, there is a possibility of losing these amenities.

The question is asking if the raise in tuition would be worth it in your eyes. Also, financially, how would this increase affect you as a student? Would you still be able to attend Western, or would you just have more loan money to pay back in the future? If the administration sees how negatively students will be impacted by this proposal, maybe they will reconsider it.

I hope this clarification helps.

Also, we were given more accurate numbers on tuition and the potential increase...

2008-2009                           $4,788

15% Increase 2009-2010      $5,506

15% Increase 2010-2011      $6,331

I can see the benifits of the increase, so that we can keep our high quality characteristics and all, but financially this is really painful. I'm an out of state student so my tuition is already much higher then most and my family is trying very hard to keep me out of loan offices, but I choose this school for a certain program that was superior to those in my home state. If tuition were to rise I would have to transfer back home to a less prestigious program which is academically upsetting.

I hope they seriously reconsider the rise in tuiton.

I know this isn't my thread to reply but as a fellow out of state student I wanted to clarify something for you. Non-resident tuition is set separately from resident tuition. So you do already pay a lot for tuition (as I do), but if the legislature increases tuition for resident undergraduates it does not mean that your tuition will increase. At this point the legislature does have the authority to set tuition for non-residents for next year, but there is a bill in the legislature that would allow the University's Board of Trustees to set the tuition rate for non-residents and graduate students. That may mean several things for you next year. For one the bill is really likely to pass since the Board has had this authority for six years and the legislature needs to reauthorize it. But, that is vey likely going to be a good thing for you, since the Board has had the authority to set non-resident tuition for six years they have it close to where they want it right now and are unlikely to increase it much further. That is because they are afraid out-of-state students are not able or willing to pay more than they already pay. The legislature doesn't have much appreciation for non-resident students either so they may very well choose to raise tuition more than the Board of Trustees would. The best possible scenario for you would be for the legislature to place a cap on the amount that the Board of Trustees can raise tuition, but frankly that just isn't going to happen.

So here is the situation tuition is going to go up for everybody next year. Tuition always goes up no matter the situation with the economy or the state legislature. Maybe that means it only goes up as much as inflation (that hasn’t happened in a really long time) or maybe it goes up by 15% like it did in 1994 when tuition for non-residents was only $7700. So your tuition is likely to go up next year, but less in terms of percentage than resident students and more in terms of dollars. That is my guess, which is the best idea anyone has at this point.

But hopefully you can stay at Western.

That rise in tuition might knock me out of school.

Anyway, I don't think student evaluations really matter. I think all their looking for is any incriminating additional comments that a student did not want to discuss during the quarter (like sexual harassment, or other serious accusations).

But I don't know if I can even believe that much. A teacher at my community college has been accused of sexual harassment on at least 5 different occasions, but he's always back.
 

Considering the complete and utter BS (the bull persuation of the acronym) I've had to deal with at the current level of cost at this university I'd say that not only would I not be in favor of it but I would (and will be) leaving :P.

I'm just glad I'm going to graduate this summer and get out before the real big money hits. Unless the increase is going to come with someone sitting down and unretarding the majors and class prerequisites system.

"I'd like to take this course on microbiology but it says that I need to take these other 9 classes and two of them are gym classes. How are those related?"

"Well we are trying to get you out of here as fast as possible."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to just have some sort of apptitude test that I could take to see wether or not I understand the material without spending thousands of extra dollars?"

"Well no because while we want you out of here ASAP we'd like all the money you can muster and borrow so that you leave here owing more money than the US/China BS (again the bovine)."

At any rate I imagine in 4-5 years I'll get over that weird primal rage feeling I've had since basically getting here and actually suggest that people come to this university. It was good to see that the light post in Red Square got fixed, only a year after it was reported as being off its rocker. But to be fair that WOULD have been a whole 2 minute fix job (taking a small stool, standing on it and setting the dome back on its mounts).

I am in favor of an increase. I think that Western has a amazing academics and that it is worth paying extra to keep everything running. I pay out of state tuition so my costs are about $12,000 more yearly than the average in-state student... So I am little biased. haha

Also, if we really want our football team back then a tutition increase is getting us one step closer!

i am not in favor of the increase- but i will deal with it. i will just take out more loans.

so it doesnt really effect me except emtionally- knowing i am paying more than before. i do get frustrated when the answer to every problem is have the students foot the bill...

i know this question isnt asking this- but i dont approve of my titution increasing to bring back the football team! academics first! our diversity numbers may go down, but it is worth it to keep our academics strong.

evals are kind of a pain in the donkey, really. I would rather spend the last few minutes of class time learning.

tuition hikes suck donkey too. I don't think that tuition is a big chunk of the schools operating budget, so why are we getting shafted when the majority of the funds come from the state/feds. How can America spend trillions of dollars bailing out wall street and banks, and car industries, but we can't operate our schools. it's kind of effed up if you ask me.

Also, are those of us that are here on financial aid (in its various methods, ie loans scholarships and grants) going to be able to get more money? What I mean is, if tuition goes up does that mean our financial aid checks just get smaller? Because I am already having trouble getting from one quarter to the next... that would be totally effed up if, especially since the fin aid office won't let me take more then 75 beans worth of loans because I get so much scholarship money...

Hey johnstp4,

Tuition does make up a very significant portion of the opperating funds of the university. The University Planning and Budgeting Office has numbers on their website specifically about the porportion of the school's opperating budget that comes from tuition v. state dollars. If the governor's proposed budget is enacted in the legislature this year, which is unlikely, dollars from tuition will make up just under 50% of the opperating budget. Unfortunately it is more likely that the tuition increase will be more than the governor's proposal and the cuts greater, which could easily mark the first time that students are providing the majority of the opperating funds to the university. That possibility on its own raises some questions about the governing structure of the university since it is based upon the premise that it is a mainly state supported institution and therefore should be governed by the legislature and a board of citizens.

Historically there were limits to the porportion of the opperating budget could come from tuition. In the late 80s it was around 27% and then in the early 90s moved up to 33%, but the legislature changed its approach in the mid-90s to make tuition hikes and budget cuts easier.

Financial aid funding if pretty wide open right now. There is not a lot of money going around to spend on financial aid, but that doens't mean that some stimilis money can't be used to bolster our financial aid system in Washington. There seems to be a solid commitment from the legislature that there will be at least a modest increase in funding for the State Need Grant, but that may also come with a decrease in access. The governor proposed cutting access to the State Need Grant so that the more needy students could be covered more completely. The Higher Education Coordinating Board predicts that about 2,500 students who were eligible for the Need Grant this year will not be eligible under the Governor's proposal. The Need Grant is determined by median family income, right now if your family (which is based upon status as a dependent and so on) makes 70% or less of the median family income ($52,500 for a family of four) you would be eligible for the Need Grant. The governor's proposal lowers that threshold to 65% of median family income ($49,000 for a family of four).

There is some more federal money available, but just like the state money you need to have the qualifying financial need.

Good luck next year

 that information is helpful.

I don't know if you answered my question though. Currently I have scholarship funds and state need grants and pell grants, but my loans were canceled because the money that I got came to the maximum that the college could give me (A situation I am clearly very lucky to be in). My real question about tuition hikes is this: If tuition is raised, will the maximum that the scholarship/financial aid department can give me be raised as well? 

Now that I have asked it sounds like a stupid question, because it seams obvious that the answer should be yes... but it would be devastating if the answer was no... 

Well I am sorry that I did not quite answer your question.

I don't know if the amount you can borrow will go up with tuition, but my assumption is the same as yours. It only makes sense that they allow you to receive more funds when tuition goes up, but unfortunately for you the State Need Grant may not go up enough so you would have to take out more loans instead of getting it in the form of a grant.

It has lots of implications...... especially for profs, and them either keeping their jobs or getting fired.

and online wouldnt be mandatory.

That's ok, your response was really helpful. The "good luck with next year" was a little scary to hear though!

if a tuition hike is going to improve certain things... Especially class size and course availability, then it would be worth it. Especially since many of us are facing a 5th year in order to get into the classes we need for our major. It would be a shame if this excludes some people from reaching their goals though. 

I think the purpose of student evals is to voice concerns or to give praise and recommendations to professors, so that they may improve their teaching.

Their has been some negative feedback on student evaluations, and how the administration and faculty make use, or dont make use of them.

I have worked on the Tenure faculty review board at a community college.  Student evaluations are a VERY LARGE and seriously taken component to hiring new faculty.  I dont know precicely how the faculty at WWU integrate them into there teaching (esp those not on the tenure track) but I have had several professors that explain how student eval feedback has help shaped the way they teach that course.

I would prefer the eval be in the classroom, because it is time that you dont have to set aside, and you get it done with immediately.  If it were online I think it may not generate as much feedback.

A number of Western students live with visible as well as invisible disabilities, including, but not limited to, mobility impairment, learning disorders (such as ADD and ADHD), hardness of hearing, and limited eyesight.

What ideas would you suggest to help improve accessibility on campus to both a) resources and b) facilities for students with disabilities?

yeah, I wish gas did cost $5-10 per gallon.

It would reduce pollution,cut our dependance on the middle east, people would use carpoolong, buses, and trains, the roads would have way less people on them, ect...

your point is not valid.