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Transforming Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs)

October 29, 2019

SETs are still used at BC universities despite their limitations and biases, partly due to PSEC’s reach into collective bargaining. Read our recommendations to explore alternative measures.

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Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) are widely used to assess teaching quality at BC’s post-secondary institutions, despite well-documented flaws. While SETs provide a convenient and inexpensive way to collect student feedback, they fail to offer valid, reliable, or unbiased data on teaching effectiveness. Instead, they measure student satisfaction and are subject to methodological issues, response bias, and discrimination.

The focus on SETs in employment decisions has led to legal challenges, institutional risks, and psychological burdens on faculty. Arbitrators have begun overturning career decisions based on SETs, highlighting their inadequacy. The current system also limits faculty input in teaching evaluation, as government mandates prioritize measurable outcomes over academic expertise.

This briefing calls for universities to move away from SETs and develop better accountability measures. It makes recommendations for working with faculty and provincial bodies to explore alternative evaluation models — ones that are rigorous, fair, and contextually appropriate. This should enhance teaching quality while reducing financial and reputational risks for institutions.

“Anonymous SETs amplify bias, disproportionately harming faculty from equity-seeking groups.”

- Excerpt

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