Course Opinion Surveys

Student Course Opinion Surveys

Student Course Opinion Surveys, often called “Student Course Evaluations,” are surveys that provide an opportunity for students to share perspectives on their experiences related to the instructor, the content, and the materials in every course each semester.  Faculty use the feedback as part of their own course improvement processes.  The data may also be used in the faculty evaluation processes if addressed in departmentally determined rubrics.

Watermark Introduction

During Summer 2026, we piloted the Watermark Course Evaluations tool in our 5W2 session. The pilot was the next step in a broader recommendation from the faculty sub-commitee that began investigating alternatives to IDEA in Spring 2024. The 5W2 pilot garnered an 86.61% response rate from students, with many faculty receiving 100% participation from their enrolled students. During the fall 2026 Faculty Retreat, faculty asked that we extend the pilot to all faculty during the fall 2026 semester (all sessions) so all faculty can experience the new tool and provide feedback. We plan to launch the full tool in spring 2027.

Please see links to pages below for additional information for students and faculty.

Online Course Opinion Survey information for students

Online Course Opinion Surveys information for faculty