For many of us, SAIs might just seem like annoying things that will never impact us, but I see SAIs as a creative and effective way to improve our university, the college experiences of the Bucs who follow in our footsteps as well as our own lives.
I think it’s most likely true that the SAIs you fill out will never have a direct impact on you, and it’s also true that filling them out can take about half an hour, depending on your course load and how thorough you want to be in them. However, you should remember that they are very helpful to your professors and the students who learn under them for years to come.
As students, we’ve benefited from the SAIs that students before us have filled out. If you have a professor who listens to feedback, the selfless thing to do is to take your time to thoughtfully fill out your SAIs at the end of the semester, both for your professor and his or her future students in that class.
As a Public Health student, I’ve been glad to see how open minded my college is to making changes for the benefit of the students. One of my favorite professors in the college, Mike McKamey, has expressed his opinion of SAIs in improving his teaching style.
“While not a perfect tool for measurement, I always look closely at student SAI’s,” McKamey said. “The open-ended questions at the end often provide the most useful feedback, and I would recommend all students be attentive to that opportunity.”
Thomas Crofts, my professor for Introductory Ancient Greek I and II – my two favorite classes at ETSU – reminds us of the importance of student input.
“The feedback is important, since it can keep you from getting complacent or finding yourself in a rut,” Crofts said.
However, he marked the scarcity of evaluations that he has found truly helpful.
“At the same time, there have only been a few… written SAI reviews that really made me reflect on my teaching methods,” he said.
Crofts said there have been so few that he could count them on one hand, since he’s had to disregard so many mindless comments.
These professors are a good reminder that professors value student feedback, as well as the fact that our feedback needs to be meaningful. Brainless input is a waste of time for our professors and for us. On the other hand, exercising your acumen to give an honest evaluation is a rare skill, and one that might help you evaluate yourself one day. Thus, even though completing SAIs will not affect us directly, I expect an indirect effect will make its way eventually.
At the end of the semester, take your time filling out the SAIs – even if your professor doesn’t promise you donuts for doing so. You’ll not only help your professor and other students, but you will help yourself down the road to assess your work in whatever field you’re in.
