By fall, MTSUreview.com, the Web site for MTSU students to post and read teacher evaluations, hopes to provide a forum for teachers to respond to their reviews.
"We are developing the teacher response section due to the high demand that has been displayed," said the MTSU Review webmaster, who requested to remain anonymous. "We look forward to having an area where teachers can post their comments."
Because of the anonymity of students posting reviews on the Web site, some teachers feel they can be accused of acts without having recourse to explain or defend themselves to the thousands of students who will potentially read it.
Students remain anonymous on the site for several reasons.
"Maintaining a system that authenticates reviewers would require us to be connected to MTSU's student information system," the site's creator said. "The MTSU Review Web site is operated independently and is in no way technically connected to MTSU's systems."
Students also remain anonymous for comfort, he said.
"When a student posts a review on the Web site, they are assured that they are to remain anonymous because they do not have to log in or provide any personal identifying information. Actually, as stated in the disclaimer, we do not even allow students to state their own name in the review, mainly because of the possibility of someone forging someone else's name."
The new teacher response forum will be greeted with a mixed reception. Some teachers doubt they will use the forum even if they dislike the Web site.
"I think that it's fair to have a teacher response," said English professor Favis Casson. "I probably would not use it. I just have other things to do and don't have time to let a bad review bother me."
"It doesn't seem fair to me for students to be able to get up [on MTSU Review] and write bad reviews," said Thomas Hemmerly, professor of biology. "If they have a complaint, they should come to me."
Many teachers agree with the idea of MTSU Review, but they are anxious that it should be used in a proper context and not used as the sole instrument used in selecting a teacher.
"I think it's a wonderful tool for students to access," Casson said. "But also, take advantage of other resources. Talk to the teacher, talk to other people who have taken the class, get a copy of the syllabus, et cetera."
"[MTSU Review] is a good tool when no other tool exists," said Charles Frost, chair of the social work department. "Better tools do exist. You can go and talk to the professor before enrolling in their class, you can go and talk to another student who has taken the class before and get their opinion. These alternatives are not always available, therefore, you may find the Web site being the best available resource. However, you need to realize that some of that information may be posted by students who are not giving a fair and accurate picture of a course."
Using other tools is also encouraged by MTSU Review's disclaimer which reminds students to "take all input ... and put whatever faith in them that you will. ... In the final analysis, you must make the decision and you're likely to have a unique experience from anyone else."
But just because there is a disclaimer does not mean that the reviews do not have checks and balances. MTSU Review adheres to the America Online and Hypermart Terms of Service. This involves editing profanities and obscenities as well as vulgar and sexually explicit language. MTSU Review also edits for reviews that may contain irrelevant or character defaming information.
"This database is designed to facilitate opinions on the course and how well the professor instructs it," the site's creator said. "It is not designed for people to simply 'bash' a professor by stating some (possibly untrue) information that is irrelevant to the course and instruction."
When a students posts irrelevant material, he said, he omits the information. Examples of common irrelevant information omitted include an instructor's appearance or how he or she looks/dresses, among other things.
There have been three cases where reviews were taken off the site on account. One review was written on a teacher that did not actually teach the semester that the review indicated. Two other reviews were removed because the teacher evaluated was moving and would no longer be an instructor at MTSU.
The webmaster noted that while the site attempts to catch all inappropriate material, some cases are missed. He encourages teachers and students that believe a review contains violations of the standards mentioned to email MTSUreview@aol.com with their questions and concerns.
"Students often fail to appreciate how influential they really are with professors," Frost said. "When we, as professors, get a note from a former student thanking us for a job well done, we deeply appreciate it. If students really wanted to change the way professors teach, one of the best ways they could do this is to let the teacher know what they like. Praise of the positive goes a long way in eliminating the negative."
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