VOICE FAQ for Students
Vanderbilt Online Instructor and Course Evaluations
Frequently Asked Questions

 •  One of my courses is not up for evaluation. Why?
The primary reason a course may not be available for evaluation is that the number of enrolled students is too small, and therefore, the evaluations may not be anonymous. If the number of enrolled students in a course (or multiple "like" courses taught by the same professor) is less than 4, course evaluations are not collected.

If you are correctly enrolled in a course which has more than 4 students, you should contact your school's evaluation manager.


 •  I have finished all my evaluations and the status of each is "Finished." Is there a "submit" button or am I finished?
Once you have completed all your course evaluations, and the status is "Finished," you have completed the process and your responses have been recorded.

 •  Why is the evaluation schedule only open during the week before final exams?
The university has a policy of collecting course evaluations only during the last week of the semester, at which point students have experienced the majority of classroom activities and therefore can provide informed feedback. In order to avoid any influence, or the perception of influence, of the final exam on evaluations (or vice-versa), the following timeline must be preserved:
  1. Students evaluate their courses during the last weeks of class*
  2. Final exams are given, or papers or projects are due
  3. Students generally begin leaving campus when they have taken their last exam
  4. Grades are submitted within two days after the last day of exam week
  5. Instructors are given access to their course evaluation results a day after that
Should any student miss the opportunity to submit evaluations during the allocated period, he or she may always provide written feedback directly to the Dean or Associate Dean of his or her home school, although comments will not be tabulated with the online results.


*The pencil and paper in-class evaluations were typically done on the last day of class.

 •  Is the Vanderbilt Online Instructor and Course Evaluations anonymous? Do the professors know who is evaluating them?
Student responses are anonymous. While the system keeps track of which students are finished, individual student responses cannot be linked to that student. Of course, a student could make a comment that reveals their identity ("I was the only Freshman, and I felt singled out", for example), but this still does not reveal responses to other questions.

 •  When will my professors see the evaluation results?
Evaluation results are available to faculty only after all the final grades have been submitted for the course. They are presented in a summary form that does not link students to their responses.

 •  Is there another way to submit my evaluations rather than through the online program?
To be tabulated and summarized effectively, expeditiously, and confidentially, all evaluations must be received through a single program.

Should any student miss the opportunity to submit evaluations during the allocated period, he or she may always provide written feedback directly to the Dean or Associate Dean of his or her home school, although comments will not be tabulated with the online results.


 •  Why should I evaluate my courses? Does anyone ever look at them?
ABSOLUTELY! Student feedback on faculty and course content are valuable elements to the improvement of Vanderbilt course offerings and to the professional development of our faculty.

Evaluation results are used by individual schools in faculty renewal, promotion, and tenure review processes. Faculty themselves find them very useful when designing course structure, syllabi and content, as well as for personal development.


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