Rate My Professor LIVE!
Vanessa Lynn
Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: News
An up-close and personal event of "Rate My professor Live" was held at the Student Center on March 13; students Clubs organized the event to initiate a dialogue between students and professors.
Christopher Brown, business management and finance major and communication studies and biology minor, is the President of The Business Leadership Society (BSL). He worked in collaboration with the National Association of Black Accountants and the BC Accounting Society to bring a discussion about rating professors. He explained that the idea of this event stemmed from issues that have been present for a while. "Students had concerns on how to approach a professor; they wonder: 'what do they want from me?' It's actually an event to meet their needs, so this had to be done," said Brown.
This is the first event hosted at BC that revolves around the idea of giving feedback to professors about how students feel about them, and allows professor to respond.
A panel of five professors, Professor Wormsby, Kass, Bassell, Manlow and Fox, from the Economics Department came to participate in this debate.
Before it started, Professor Manlow, assistant professor for the Department of Economics said, "I expect dialog about some of the benefits, problem and issues. A lot of the professors are suspicious of 'rate my professors' because anybody can say what they want. I think it's empowering for students, but it always depends on how it's used."
The event started with each professor giving their opinion about the website ratemprofessor.com.Wormsby expressed the importance to view the website as a tool to evaluate the teacher for what students will get out of the class, to learn, as oppose to finding professors who give good grades and less homework. Professor Kass, who also shared his opinion said, "don't rely on it". On the other hand, Fox pointed out the importance of remembering that the rates and comments on the website exclude the random sample. Bassell also brought up the fact that there are thousands of students but only 30 to 50 ratings. "It is not even statically relevant" as he said. Fox thinks "Ratemyprofessors.com is a terrible thing."
Christopher Brown, business management and finance major and communication studies and biology minor, is the President of The Business Leadership Society (BSL). He worked in collaboration with the National Association of Black Accountants and the BC Accounting Society to bring a discussion about rating professors. He explained that the idea of this event stemmed from issues that have been present for a while. "Students had concerns on how to approach a professor; they wonder: 'what do they want from me?' It's actually an event to meet their needs, so this had to be done," said Brown.
This is the first event hosted at BC that revolves around the idea of giving feedback to professors about how students feel about them, and allows professor to respond.
A panel of five professors, Professor Wormsby, Kass, Bassell, Manlow and Fox, from the Economics Department came to participate in this debate.
Before it started, Professor Manlow, assistant professor for the Department of Economics said, "I expect dialog about some of the benefits, problem and issues. A lot of the professors are suspicious of 'rate my professors' because anybody can say what they want. I think it's empowering for students, but it always depends on how it's used."
The event started with each professor giving their opinion about the website ratemprofessor.com.Wormsby expressed the importance to view the website as a tool to evaluate the teacher for what students will get out of the class, to learn, as oppose to finding professors who give good grades and less homework. Professor Kass, who also shared his opinion said, "don't rely on it". On the other hand, Fox pointed out the importance of remembering that the rates and comments on the website exclude the random sample. Bassell also brought up the fact that there are thousands of students but only 30 to 50 ratings. "It is not even statically relevant" as he said. Fox thinks "Ratemyprofessors.com is a terrible thing."
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Will Wallace
posted 7/20/08 @ 2:30 PM EST
I take Rate My Professor with a very large dose of salt. The statistical sampling is ridiculously small and self-selecting. It is possible for a disgruntled student to post several times, and also possible for other faculty, administrators, or a spiteful ex-spouse to make comments. (Continued…)
Rate Professors
posted 8/07/08 @ 11:58 PM EST
Rate my Professor is a good website, however these days many more websites have been developed with much more information than what these guys offer. I agree with Will, multiple comments should be allowed. (Continued…)
Laura
posted 8/19/08 @ 1:31 PM EST
I have used ratemyprofessor many times in the past, but can no longer locate the web site. Does it still exist?
If someone can shed any light on this I would appreciate it
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