The Settler

Issue date: 11/19/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Chris Crankshaw If complications with the school's Banner system are not worked out, Vol State's teacher evaluations may have to be completed with pencil and paper.

It is the time of the semester when students usually start seeing faculty evaluations in their student email inboxes.

However, this year there is a slight delay in the process.

According to Assistant Professor of History Grady Eades there is a problem in the Banner system.

"The trouble is getting Banner to coordinate with the old system," Eades said.

"Right now we are unable to make the CWID number (the student identification number for last year's PRIDE online system) line up with the V number (the current student identification number)," Eades added.

Eades said the alternative to the online evaluations is reverting to a pencil and paper system.

That method would probably only be used for faculty members that were up for promotion or tenure.

"We're hoping that we don't have to resort to that," Eades said.

One drawback to the pencil and paper method is that only students who attend the class meeting on the day the evaluations will be allowed to add their input.

"We also have online students who never see the campus, so we have to have some way to be in contact with them as well," Eades added.

James Swafford, president of the College Democrats said he didn't really think it mattered too much to students if the evaluations were sent out or not.

"[Students] don't really care, because they never see the results of the evaluations," Swafford said.

Swafford said that offering bonus points is the best way for teachers to get students to fill out the evaluations.

Eades said that the evaluations are very important. "Supervisors look over [the evaluations] each term. They are one of the factors in determining promotion and tenure," Eades said.

According to Eades, the solution that the information technology department is working on is only a temporary fix and a permanent fix would still need to be found.

Interim Director of Administrative Computer Services Stephanie Coker could not be reached for comment.

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