The course evaluation window is open, and you want students to participate. You also want the invitation to be fair. Asking for feedback shouldn't become a request for praise or a conversation about the rating you hope to receive.
The handbook encourages faculty to explain why evaluations matter and make participation easier. Keep the focus on honest, useful feedback and follow the institution's evaluation procedures.
Explain what students can comment on
Invite observations about the course experience: clarity of instructions, opportunities to practice, feedback, organization, and other relevant aspects. Specific examples can help explain a concern or a strength.
Don't coach students toward a preferred response. A reminder should make the process clearer, not steer the outcome.
Show the official access route
Provide the authorized instructions and evaluation window. If an access problem appears, direct students to the appropriate support. A brief demonstration of where to find the form can be useful when it doesn't expose individual responses.
Use the institution's explanation of confidentiality and timing. Don't promise anonymity or a release date without knowing how the actual process works.
Follow the rules for reminders and class time
Where permitted, provide a neutral reminder or time to participate. Follow the guidance about instructor presence and the collection process. Avoid asking students to prove completion or using incentives unless the institution's procedures explicitly allow the approach.
Students should be able to understand the invitation without feeling pressure to produce a particular evaluation.
Explain how feedback can inform changes
If you have an accurate example, describe a course adjustment prompted by earlier feedback. Maybe instructions became clearer or an activity was reorganized. Distinguish your actual experience from a hypothetical illustration.
You don't need to promise that every suggestion will be adopted. Explain that you'll review patterns alongside the course goals and other evidence.
Interpret the results with context
When the official results become available, note the response count and the questions asked. Read comments for patterns and specific information. Don't treat a score as a complete account of teaching or assume the respondents speak for every student.
Keep the official records in the approved location and use them as required in your reviews.
Read your reminder for pressure you didn't intend
A sentence about how much you need strong evaluations can shift the invitation away from honest feedback, even if you meant only to explain the process. Remove references to the rating you want or the personal consequences you hope students will prevent. Keep the message about their experience and the authorized way to report it.
Check any example of an earlier course change too. It should illustrate that feedback is reviewed, not imply students owe a favorable score because you responded to a request. Thank them for participating without asking them to reassure you.
If students ask how confidentiality works, use the institution's current explanation or direct them to the responsible office. Don't fill a gap with a confident guess. A neutral invitation should make participation easier while leaving the substance of the response with the student. That boundary protects the usefulness of the feedback as well as the fairness of the request.
Prepare a short invitation that states the purpose, access route, and deadline, without mentioning a desired score. Read it from a student's perspective. It should sound like a request for an honest account of the course.
Adapted from The New Faculty Handbook by Zafer Unal, pp. 54-56.
