This page describes the current operating procedures of the University of Utah Student Course Feedback Program. It supplements applicable University regulations by documenting implementation details and may be updated as systems and administrative practices change.
For information about the University policies and faculty-governance structures governing Student Course Feedback, see Policies & Governance
If these procedures do not address an administrative question, the Center for Teaching Excellence will determine how to proceed consistent with applicable University regulations.
Program Information
Student Course Feedback, or SCF, refers to the program that administers course feedback surveys and distributes collected feedback to instructors, approved administrators, and students.
The Martha Bradley Evans Center for Teaching Excellence administers the SCF program. The SCF Program Manager reports to the director of the Center for Teaching Excellence.
For questions or assistance, contact SCF:
- Email: scf@utah.edu
- Phone: 801-581-7597
In these procedures, “course-offering unit” means the academic unit identified in University course data as responsible for offering a credit-bearing or noncredit course. It also refers to the administrators or heads of that unit.
Surveys
Standardized Instrument
SCF administers the standardized student course feedback instrument approved for University use. The current instrument includes revisions implemented beginning Spring 2024.
Courses with Multiple Instructors
For courses with multiple instructors, the following instructor-focused items are repeated for each additional instructor:
- I would recommend this instructor.
- What does this instructor do to help you learn?
- What could this instructor do to improve or increase learning opportunities in this class?
- Is there anything else you would like this instructor to know?
Additional Questions
As survey tools permit, an instructor may add up to two survey items per course. SCF provides resources and guidance for adding these items.
A college or school may add up to two survey items that apply to all courses it offers.
A course-offering unit may add up to two survey items that apply to all courses offered by the unit.
A unit responsible for an approved course type or trait, such as ONLN or CEL, may add up to two survey items that apply to courses with that designation.
Colleges, schools, course-offering units, and units responsible for approved course types or traits submit their additional survey items to SCF. No other group or person may add survey items.
Survey Dates
Standard Survey Dates
Surveys for classes in regular, first-half, and second-half sessions generally open approximately ten days before the class end date and remain open until the grading deadline for the course.
Surveys for classes in miscellaneous sessions generally open on the last day of class and remain open for ten days.
Nonstandard Survey Dates
Survey dates are programmed using course information gathered by the Scheduling Office through CLSS–CourseLeaf Section Scheduler.
Course-offering units should confirm course sessions and dates before the semester according to Scheduling Office deadlines. Units should report incorrect survey dates to SCF.
Viewing Grades
Under the operating arrangement between the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Registrar’s Office, final course grades posted before the end of a survey period are not viewable to students in the “View Grades” module of the Campus Information System until that survey period ends.
Other systems, including the unofficial transcript and Canvas, may display grades independently of SCF. Instructors remain responsible for meeting the Registrar’s Office grading deadline.
Survey Errors and Resets
A student may ask SCF to reset a submitted course survey. Resetting a survey removes the student’s previous responses and allows the student to submit the survey again while it remains open.
If a survey is reset after the survey period closes, the student cannot submit replacement responses. SCF will not reset a survey after the feedback has been released to the instructor or appropriate administrators.
Instructors and course-offering units should document known or suspected response errors and interpret the collected feedback accordingly.
Reporting
Standardized Reports
SCF publishes information about the standardized reports approved for campus-wide use on the SCF website.
Instructor Reports
SCF distributes course feedback results, including all collected data, to course instructors after the Registrar’s Office grading deadline each semester.
Administrator Access
The head of each course-offering unit, or a designee, determines which administrators and staff should have access to course feedback collected for the unit.
Deans, department chairs, directors, and other unit heads may approve access. SCF accepts approval by email and audits administrator and staff access every two years.
SCF distributes course feedback results, including all collected data, to approved administrators after the Registrar’s Office grading deadline each semester.
Student-Accessible Results
Student-accessible results are available to users with valid University login credentials.
Other Reports and Uses of Response Data
Requests for customized reports or other uses of SCF response data should be submitted to the Center for Teaching Excellence, which determines whether and how the request will be fulfilled.
The Center for Teaching Excellence reports campus-wide access to SCF response data to the Senate Advisory Committee on Student Course Feedback annually.