THE GREAT RATE DEBATE Nub 102, Block 5b, Fall 2016

STANKIEWICZ What is Stankiewicz’s position on the debate? In your opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of his position? Stankiewicz writes, “Whether buying a new car or a home appliance, people want to make informed decisions.” What kinds of info do students need to make an “informed decision” about taking a course with a specific college professor? For those of you who have used Rate My Professor (RMP), is it possible for students to make “informed decisions” based on the criteria we’ve just outlined? What are some possible advantages and disadvantages of making such important decisions through a website like RMP? “Just as there are good and bad refrigerators,” Stankiewicz suggests, “there are good and bad professors.” Is it reasonable, in general and online, to compare (and rate online) professors to consumer products like home appliances and new cars? Why or why not? How does Purnell indirectly respond to this question in his piece? Do you agree or disagree with Purnell’s response? Stankiewicz acknowledges that students evaluate professors through internal university evaluations but then adds that these evaluations aren’t available to students—only to professors and administration. This is an interesting point. Why do you think this is the case? Do you think that these evaluations should be put on an online database for students to examine? Would you use such a database? What would the advantages and disadvantages be of such a database, especially considering the relative popularity and anonymity of RMP?

SCHMIDT How did Schmidt conduct his study of gender and language use in student evaluations on RMP? What were some of the results of Schmidt’s study? Which ones stood out to you the most and why? * What roles do gender/sex play in some of the results? Why do you think that is? *   What is Schmidt’s conclusion regarding the ratings on RMP? Do you agree or disagree?

PRATT (1 OF 2) In the first sentence, Pratt mentions that students in many colleges across the nation have been protesting for more diverse faculty. Although Pratt’s piece is primarily about race and faculty of color, what else does diversity mean in this context? * How diverse is your major, your university, and your workplace? Why is it important for schools (and workplaces in general) to increase the diversity of their faculty, staff, and students? Why is it likewise important for workplaces to increase the diversity of employees? Do you know of any measures designed to increase diversity in any of these capacities? * Pratt declares that websites like RMP are problematic because “students with extreme views are more likely to complete an evaluation of a teacher” and thus “the ‘sample’ of students surveyed about the professor's performance is skewed, tainting the validity of the findings.” What is Pratt saying here? What are some possible scenarios? For those of you who have used RMP before, do find this to be true? Are the majority of professor evaluations negative? Is RMP a “peaceful venue” as Purnell suggests in the last piece?

PRATT (2 OF 2) According to Pratt, how might race and the beauty bias factor into student evaluations? Reflecting on the other articles, how might gender shape student evaluations? * Do you think students who are rating professors in ways that indirectly speak to the professor’s gender, race, or physical attractiveness are aware that they are doing so? What key term does this relate to from a previous class? * In the long run, how might negative student evaluations contribute to structural inequality for women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and other minorities? Think about Pratt’s main argument about why student evaluations are problematic for faculty of color. *

PURNELL As Purnell argues, do you think RMP provides professors with “honest and meaningful feedback” and “genuine constructive feedback” about their teaching abilities and courses? Although not all students and professors feel the same way about the website, what kinds of opposing views might the two groups have? On another note, do you think RMP would be less controversial if the evaluations were only visible to students at the university where the professor in question teaches—rather than to the entire public? In The New York Times’ brief introduction to this debate, they ask if “public online evaluations [like those found on RMP] have any educational value?” Having read and discussed these four pieces, how would you answer this question? What is at the core of this overall debate about RMP and how does it relate to our units on diversity and structural inequality? *

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS What is your position on the debate about online evaluations and websites like ratemyprofessor.com? How did you formulate this position (i.e. based on what specific authors/details in the New York Times selection and/or through which previous experiences?) In The New York Times’ brief introduction to this debate, they ask if “public online evaluations [like those found on RMP] have any educational value?” Having read and discussed these four pieces, how would you answer this question?