Online Course Evaluations
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Skip to main contentUpon recommendation of the faculty Course Evaluation Committee, Stanford introduced a new system for online end-term course feedback to provide better information to faculty, encourage students to reflect more thoughtfully about their educational experiences, and enhance the learning partnership.
For complete information on the course evaluation system, see the Teaching Evaluation & Student Feedback website.
Key Dates for Online Course Evaluations
For the full Online Course Evaluation calendar, please see: Key Dates for End of Term Feedback (via Evaluation & Research).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why should I complete an online evaluation?
- The feedback from your online evaluations can be used to inform faculty and other students about the effectiveness of a course, its instructor and its teaching assistants. Constructive suggestions that may help the faculty member to improve the lectures, readings, assignments and exams are particularly valuable. This important feedback is also used to make tenure and performance decisions by the university.
- Which courses are evaluated?
A minimum of three students must be enrolled in order for a course to be evaluated. Scheduled discussion sections are also evaluated based on the enrollment of its corresponding lecture.
Athletics courses can be evaluated, but some GSB and School of Medicine lecture series courses — as well as independent study, activity, internship and thesis/dissertation courses — are not evaluated.
- How is anonymity maintained?
- Stanford is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of its evaluations. In doing so, we have chosen an outside vendor to manage and store the evaluation data. When you log on to complete the online evaluation process, you will automatically be redirected to the third-party vendor's server. Stanford does not have access to your identifying data.
- How long after I submit my evaluations will my grades be made available?
- Grades holds are released within 24 hours after all your evaluations have been submitted. If you don’t submit or opt out of your evaluations, grades will be available the day after evaluations close. If you require your transcript or grades before then, reach out to the Student Services Center (SSC) for assistance. If the grades have been submitted before the grading deadline that quarter, the SSC can help.
- Why does my course show up twice?
If you are enrolled in a GSB cross-listed course, you must fill out two evaluations: one for Stanford University and the other for the GSB evaluation. Courses cross-listed with the GSB are evaluated using two different sets of questions.
Note: not all cross-listed courses have two evaluations to complete — just those cross-listed with GSB.
- Course and Section evaluations use different forms, so you may see your course listed for each form.
- What if my instructor/TA is not listed on one of my discussion sections?
- If your instructor or TA is not listed, you may submit a blank evaluation by starting an evaluation and clicking the Opt Out button on the first page of the evaluation form.
- What if I missed the course evaluation deadline?
- Evaluations cannot be completed after the deadline.
- How can I see my grades if I do not want to evaluate classes that are on my list?
- You can decline to evaluate a course by starting an evaluation and clicking the Opt Out button on the first page. If you are evaluating a GSB course, however, you are not able to waive (decline) the evaluation.
With regard to grade holds, declining to evaluate a course is equivalent to evaluating it. Your grades are released within 24 hours after you have either evaluated or declined to evaluate each of your courses, provided that your instructor has submitted the grade.
Note: You are not required to evaluate all section instructors in your course; only evaluate instructors with whom you have had significant interactions.
- I keep getting reminders to complete my evaluations; how can I make them stop?
- If you continue to receive reminders, you still have one or more evaluations to complete. The reminders will stop once you submit or decline all evaluations.
- My discussion section was optional; why am I being asked to evaluate it?
- Though optional, the TA/instructor responsible for your section would welcome and appreciate any feedback you’d like to give.
- Which courses are eligible for online course evaluations? Not all of my courses are appearing on my list.
A minimum of three students must be enrolled in order for a course to be evaluated. In addition, scheduled discussion sections are also evaluated based on the enrollment of its corresponding lecture.
Athletics courses can be evaluated, but some GSB and School of Medicine lecture series courses — as well as independent study, activity, internship and thesis/dissertation courses — are not evaluated.
- How do I evaluate classes that are not on my list?
- Only courses and sections on your list are eligible for evaluation.
- Where can I get help if I can't log into the system?
- If you need help logging in, send an email to course-evaluations@stanford.edu.
- Can I get to the online course evaluation system through Canvas?
- Yes, during the evaluation period, you will see a pop-up notification on your Canvas dashboard page with a link to your evaluations.
- Can I modify an evaluation that I have already submitted?
- Yes, as long as grades have not been posted for your course, you can change your responses to a submitted evaluation. Please email course-evaluations@stanford.edu and they can re-open your evaluation.
- Why are evaluations only open during dead week and finals week? Can the deadline be extended?
- The decision about the timing of the open period for evaluations rests with the deans of the participating schools.
- I am both a student and an instructor. How do I view the results from the course(s) I taught?
- The course evaluation system will default to your Student/Respondent role. To switch your role, click the role in the upper right corner of the page just to the left of your name and select your Instructor role. You will then have access to the Results menu where you can access your course reports.
- I have withdrawn from a course that still appears on my evaluation list. What should I do?
- Depending on when you withdrew, you may still see a course listed. In this case, submit a blank evaluation for this course or opt out of the evaluation.
- How can I view the quantitative results?
- Student reports are available in the course evaluation system via the Student Reporting menu.
GSB results can be viewed by GSB community members on the GSB Course Evaluation website.