Schedule for 2026 Spring Mid-Semester Feedback Surveys

Survey Dates:

• Instructors
  • 03/07/26 - 5pm - Instructor deadline to opt-out of the survey
  • 03/07/26 - 5pm - Instructor deadline to add custom questions
  • 03/08/26 - 10am - Instructor access to survey response rates
  • 03/13/26 - midnight - Instructor end of access to survey response rates
  • 03/20/26 - 9am - Instructor access to survey results
• Students 
  • 03/08/26 - 10am - Student access to available surveys
  • 03/17/26 - midnight - Student end of student access to survey participation

Mid-semester feedback surveys allow instructors to ask a wide range of questions. For convenience, the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence has compiled a list of required questions that are asked of all participants.

Instructors are also welcome to add additional questions that relate directly to their course. To maximize the effectiveness of the surveys, please keep the total number of questions to 20-25. This increases the chances that students will provide meaningful and substantive responses.

BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS:

The following questions are asked of all respondents on the following scale:

Consistently / Often / Sometimes / Rarely / Never / Not Applicable

"Please rate your instructor on the frequency that they exhibit these qualities and behaviors:"

1. Knowledgeable About Subject Matter (for example, appropriately answers students’ questions; provides value beyond required texts)
2. Establishes Learning Objectives (for example, prepares/follows the syllabus; has clear learning objectives)
3. Uses Relevant Assessments (for example, assignments/tests target key learning objectives)
4. Provides Constructive Feedback (for example, provides useful, timely feedback on returned work)
5. Accessible (for example, posts/attends office hours, gives contact information, responds in a reasonable amount of time)
6. Attentive to Student Learning (for example, asks questions to check student understanding; reinforce information when necessary)
7. Engaging and Interesting (for example, uses relevant examples; supports and enhances lectures with educational tools and/or technology)
8. Receptive to Feedback (for example, requests course feedback from students; responds to student suggestions)
9. Respectful (for example, is considerate and polite, encourages students, promotes an inclusive environment)

STANDARD QUESTIONS:

The following questions are asked of all respondents on the following scale:

Strongly Agree / Somewhat Agree / Neither Agree nor Disagree / Somewhat Disagree / Strongly Disagree / Not Applicable

1. The instructor is an effective teacher.
2. I will tell other students that the instructor is effective in communicating the content of the course.
3. I will tell other students that the instructor describes and consistently follows course and grading policies.
4. I will tell other students that the instructor is prepared for class.
5. I will recommend this instructor to other students.

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS:

The following written questions will be asked of your students:

1. With regards to teaching, what are the strengths of the instructor?
2. What suggestions do you have for improving the quality of instruction?

Mid-Semester Feedback is optional and voluntary. Instructors can choose to participate in the survey using the Blue software interface.

Surveys are created by default to allow as many students as possible to participate in the survey process. If you choose to participate in the survey you do not need to do anything

Each semester an opt-out time period will be defined and communicated to all faculty registered as instructors in JoeSS.

OPTING-OUT
If you choose to opt-out of survey participation follow these instructions: (Images of the settings window and a video on the opt-out or opt-back-in procedure can be found on the Mid-Semester Feedback Survey page on the CAFE website.)

(Scroll down for a walkthrough video)

1. Click on the link provided at the top of this email  - or view your Blue dashboard at http://my-mst.bluera.com
2. Select your class. (You will have to interact with each of your classes, there is no global setting for all your courses.)
3. Click on the "Manage Settings" button
4. The settings pop-up window allows you to control survey participation for an individual course. There are two switches at the top of the settings window (see image on the CAFE website). To opt-out correctly interact with these switches in this order:
1. The second switch controls the survey creation for an individual faculty member for the course. It shows your name and the text, "Joe Miner, do you want to opt in to this evaluation?" If you as the course instructor or one of the course instructors choose not to participate, slide this switch to "No". Verify your selection.
2. The first switch controls the survey creation for the  class, and includes the text, "Opt in to this evaluation?" and the last date you can change your participation selection.
1. If you are the only instructor for the course, simply slide the switch to "No". Verify the selection.
2. If you are in a course with more than one instructor, do not turn off this switch without checking with the other instructors as setting this not "No" will prevent survey creation for the course regardless of instructor.
3. Click the "Update" button at the bottom of the settings window.

TEAM TAUGHT COURSES:

The top slider (the course slider) must be set to Yes for the course to be surveyed. Then each instructor in the course must set the instructor slider to Yes to receive an evaluation of their teaching.

NOTE: It is not required for all instructors in a team taught course to choose to be evaluated.

Instructors can add up to three questions of their own devising. They can add a combination of scaled questions and open-ended questions.

Questions can be a combination of scaled questions

and Open-ended questions