Few students evaluated their Fall Semester professors, according to a presentation by Ohio University President Roderick McDavis at this week’s Faculty Senate meeting.
“(The issue) is recognized, and we do need to have that discussion to get the response rates up,” said Howard Dewald, associate provost for Faculty and Academic Planning.
The College of Arts and Sciences had 325 responses. In the 2012-13 academic year, the college enrolled
almost
4,700 students at its Athens campus. Data for other colleges wasn’t immediately available.
So few responses isn’t too concerning, but McDavis still said he thought the university should consider ways to encourage more participants.
“I think there are individual efforts we could do, but it depends on how much effort you want to put in,” said Ben Stuart, professor of civil engineering.
McDavis coined the phrase “Ohio Guarantee” for the university’s guaranteed tuition plan, which would offer a flat price for tuition and fees over a four-year period.
He also notified faculty of House Bill 231, which, if passed, could allow the Board of Trustees the ability to grant concealed carry rights for those with licenses on campus.
Currently, concealed carry is not permissible on university campuses in Ohio.
“It’s not a bill that I’m fond of, but it’s out there, and we all need to be aware of it, and whatever your feelings are regarding carrying on campus, know that that bill is there,” McDavis said.
The university is launching a new scholarship program, the Ohio Signature Awards, which offers eight new scholarships to replace the Gateway program.
Students applying now will be eligible to receive the Signature Awards, Dewald said.
Current students receiving Gateway scholarships will continue to receive their scholarships for the time period they were granted, according to a previous
Post
article.
The senate also heard from Duane Starkey, interim chief information officer, who asked the senate’s opinion
on swi
tching to email systems to Microsoft 365, so the systems would be standard for faculty, and undergraduate and graduate students, Starkey said.
The meeting closed with a first reading of a resolution to extend excused absences for student military members on reserve training days, and a resolution passed to change the date of Faculty Senate meetings to the first Monday of the week starting Fall Semester.
dk123111@ohiou.edu
@DanielleRose84
