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Giving & Alumni
College of Music
Giving & Alumni
College of Music

Student Resources

Evaluation of Faculty

The Student Perceptions of Learning Survey

The Student Perceptions of Learning Survey (SPLS) collects feedback from students in all courses to (1) provide instructors, graduate teaching assistants, and teaching units with feedback on their instructional practices; (2) contribute to instructor retention, promotion, tenure, and salary decisions; and (3) provide students with information to guide decision-making related to course selection. SPL Surveys are administered online. The SPLS pilot phase began with courses ending on June 16, 2023 and continued through the end of the Summer 2023 Session. Effective Fall 2023, SPLS replaces the SIRS Online system. See the Important Onboarding Dates for colleges, departments, or schools that are planning to add up to 12 questions to the SPLS. The SPLS system will not retain historical SIRS data. Any SIRS data that has not already been downloaded and saved should be downloaded before September 30, 2023.

Student Opinion of Courses and Teaching (SOCT)

The following policy operates as a complement to the Student Perceptions of Learning Survey (SPLS) policy to provide selected public information for students as an aid to choosing courses.

To this end, the University Committee on Academic Policy (UCAP) has framed a set of questions that should provide the type of information that students seek. In order to facilitate the transmission of this information to the students, the following procedures are established:

  • In addition to using standard university or unit-based SIRS forms in every class each semester in compliance with the Student Instructional Rating System policy, faculty members at the rank of instructor or above are rated by Student Opinion of Courses and Teaching in all of their regular undergraduate classes.
  • The SOCT forms are online and can be completed within the last two weeks of classes.
  • Results will be disseminated in summary form, displayed by instructor and department, once per year through a Web site accessible to students and other members of the University community with the appropriate identification.