Ohio University students still found a way to share their thoughts about teachers and classes before the invention of the World Wide Web.
The Student Guide to Courses and Instructors at Ohio University first began compiling students’ opinions in 1965 when 250 students established the organization.
Student leaders from various organizations on campus united to form the group tasked with constructing the guide. The students compiled responses from each course to make one overall impression of the professor and the class — similar to the way the website www.ratemyprofessors.com operates today.
They produced and distributed the paperback book of the same name, according to documents in the Robert E. and Jean R. Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections.
The student groups involved in the production, which included “student cabinet” and many fraternities and sororities, supported the issue printed in 1966.
The guide wasn’t nearly as crude as some posts on ratemyprofessors, but some students didn’t hold back when they were unsatisfied with their professors.
One entry for Mr. Click, a journalism professor, reads: “Although most of the students said that Mr. Click spoke well and had an organized presentation, almost one third commented that he was boring and often drifted into such a monotone that few members of the class could win the fight to stay awake.”
The archives have two editions of the guide, both from the 1960s, said University Archivist and Records Manager Bill Kimok.
It’s not clear how long the university kept a physical copy of students’ ratings. Although this method has since become outdated, students still rely on professors’ ratings.
“I always use (ratemyprofessors) to get the teachers with better ratings,” said Taylor Manning, a senior studying management and sociology. “I pretty much have it on another tab while I’m scheduling classes.”
The website asks students to rank the professors in terms of easiness, clarity and helpfulness. It also asks you to answer whether the professor is attractive and if class is mandatory.
“People (who post) need to be motivated to go (to the site),” said Jan Palmer, a professor of economics who holds a 3.8 out of 5 rating on ratemyprofessors. “It’s either people who really like an instructor or people who really dislike an instructor.”
OU asks students to electronically rate their teachers at the end of each semester with prompts provided by the university. In general, those results are what faculty members care about, said Elizabeth Sayrs, Faculty Senate chairwoman.
“I don’t know many faculty members that are that concerned about (ratemyprofessors.com),” Sayrs said. “They worry about the internal evaluations. … We know the questions on there.”
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