University of Virginia Library

Caution!

Hence, a word of caution is in
order. These figures are noted at
the beginning of each course
evaluation and the main which
follows should be read in terms of
the size of the response. Perhaps in
the future, pencils can be provided
so that the advantages of using a
computer to provide statistical data
can be retained while also insuring
that the return is substantial
enough to guarantee a reasonable
level of reliability.

One of the best features of this
year's effort, is the consistently
high quality of the written
evaluations which follow the
statistics. These are frequently the
most helpful aspects of the course
reviews for they pinpoint specifies,
both favorable and not so favorable
and also indicate the extent of the
class opinion regarding a particular
view. In the past, it has been
extremely difficult to maintain the
level of quality present in this
edition and this certainly ranks as a
major improvement along with the
timely publication.

One feature of the Student
Council evaluation in the past has
been the overall evaluations of the
academic departments generally
written by the department editors
after consultation with their staffs,
departments majors, and faculty
members. They are useful in several
ways, most notably in aiding
students in the choice of majors,
faculty members in improving
department programs, advising
systems and the like, as well as
providing some small measure of
recognition when a department is
highly regarded by its students. In
this last respect, the English.
History and Religion departments
stand out as superior ones, with
several others not far behind.

Again, as in the past, some of
the smaller departments get slighted
when the time comes for the
department-wide evaluations. It is
these evaluations which are the
ones written in the wee hours of
the morning when the mental
processes have begun to retire and
all that remains is the ability to
sling a little B.S. when the situation
calls for it.