iEval

Student Evaluations of Teaching

Student Evaluations of Teaching, commonly known as iEval at UCR, is a helpful feedback tool that focuses on the teaching and learning that occurs in the classroom. The information is reviewed by TAs, instructors, department chairs, and college deans, and is used by UCR in hiring, promotion, and tenure discussions. 

Responsible student input is an important of iEval and can help improve teaching and learning. Students are encouraged to be honest, fair, and constructive as they participate in this important campus process. 

iEval for instructors of undergraduate and graduate courses is currently administered by the Office of Evaluation and Assessment. Answers to most common questions are below, further inquiries can be directed to ievalcontact@ucr.edu

 

Common Student Questions

  • Are students required to complete iEvals?

    Completion of iEvals is not required, but we strongly encourage students to complete their iEvals. The feedback is valuable for the improvement of teaching and learning, and it is used in hiring, tenure, and promotion discussions.

  • What type of feedback can I provide?

    The evaluations are focused on the teaching and learning that occurs in your courses. While the feedback report to instructors is anonymous, students are expected to follow UCR's Standards of Conduct when providing written feedback. Responses alleged to be in violation of the Standards, including but not limited to offensive, discriminatory or harassing language, may be referred to Student Conduct for further review. 

    For more information about providing unbiased and helpful feedback, click here.

     

  • What happens if I make a mistake on my iEvals?

    If you make a mistake on your iEvals, send a message to ievalcontact@ucr.edu. Make sure to do this before the close of the evaluations. 

  • When do the evaluations run every quarter?

    The early-term evaluation is optional for instructors and only runs if the instructors choose to opt in. Students will only see these if the instructor opted in to the evaluation. It runs for one week, Monday through Friday, during the second week of the quarter. 

    The end-of-term evaluation is required to be run in most courses for instructors and TAs. During the fall, winter, and spring quarters, it runs for two weeks during weeks nine and ten of the quarter. During summer sessions, iEval is open on the last Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each session.

  • What is the history behind the creation of our Student Evaluations of Teaching?

    Old iEval

    In Fall 2006, UCR began to use the Senate approved UCR Faculty Instruction Evaluation Form. This form was the standard form that was used by the entire campus for instructor Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs). It encompassed course information, self-reported academic behavior (like study time), instructor appraisal, course appraisal, department specific issues, and student comments. In Fall 2009, the UCR Academic Senate endorsed the campus move to online evaluations via iEval, which was the name of the IT system that implemented the evaluations every quarter. The Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Office of Instructional Development coordinated the transition.

     

    New iEval

    In February 2018, UCR's Academic Senate convened an ad hoc committee to review our Old iEval. The ad hoc committee's main priorities were to review policies, procedures, and mechanisms for how teaching is evaluated; establish new policies and procedures for accurate and reliable evaluation; and review iEval for its efficacy and recommend changes to maximize student participation and provide faculty with constructive feedback. 

    The ad hoc committee issued its report in 2021, at which time the Provost charged a joint Senate-administrative committee to implement the ad hoc committee's recommendations. The joint committee's work focused on producing a more equitable and useful tool for evaluation of teaching effectiveness and pedagogical improvement, and facilitating the submission of multiple forms of teaching effectiveness via eFile. The joint committee completed the bulk of its work in October 2023, including a round of Senate consultation that informed modifications to the new SET instrument. 

    Subsequently, all instructors were invited to participate in a pilot of the new SET in Spring 2024. Feedback from faculty and students who participated in the pilot (as well as from faculty who did not participate in the pilot) was collected and used to inform further adjustments to the SET and technology. An analysis of the feedback along with the joint committee's recommendations were included in a final report to the Senate.

    After their November 18, 2024 meeting, the Senate Executive Council voted to "endorse mandatory adoption of the new SET as a campus-wide replacement for the old iEval questions [and] usage of the new software."

    With further refinement of the SET, a second pilot of the new SET instrument was implemented in Spring 2025 along with the new Qualtrics-based software that will replace the old iEval technology. Unlike the first pilot, this second pilot did not include a round of feedback and modifications prior to campus-wide adoption in Fall 2025.