What you need to know

Student subject evaluations are an important and long-standing part of MIT’s educational culture. Participation is voluntary and each term, departments select which subjects and instructors will be evaluated. Department administrators enter teaching and evaluation data into a central system that generates the surveys. The process begins after the fourth week of the fall and spring terms.

Subject evaluations take place during pre-determined periods that are aligned with the Academic Calendar. Although the majority is at the end of each term, there are two evaluation periods for sub-term subjects. The system is also open to for-credit subjects offered during IAP and summer term.

Some key points to remember:

  • You must have a Kerberos ID in order to be evaluated.
  • Every survey includes the standard Institute questions and your department administrator can add a limited number of additional, custom questions for you.
  • Evaluation periods conclude before finals to ensure that your students are not influenced by the exams or their final grades.
  • Student Information Policy governs disclosure and protection of student responses.
  • Reports are made available to the MIT community after final grades have been submitted. 

What you need to do

  • Contact your department administrator to confirm that you and your subject(s) are being evaluated.
  • Consider adding custom questions to your evaluations and share them with your department administrator. See custom question guidelines for procedures and timeline.
  • You will receive an email notice when you are being evaluated and an evaluation period opens.
  • During the evaluation period, view real-time response rates and encourage your students to complete their surveys.
  • For technical issues and other questions, email sehelp@mit.edu.

Help boost response rates

Students are much more likely to complete evaluations when they know that their feedback, particularly open-ended comments, is important to you. To that end, we encourage you to:

  • Emphasize what evaluations mean to you and your department.
  • Share a particular instance where you changed your approach or subject content based on student feedback.
  • Set aside class time and ask your students to take the evaluation in class on their laptops.
  • Ask your department administrator to help get the word out through email or other reminders.