Student Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ): Facts

Student Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) FAQs

What are SOQs?

SOQs are Scantron-based Student Opinion Questionnaires that all faculty must have students complete every semester. At this time, all but online classes have paper SOQs. They are distributed to all faculty according to a designated schedule that is emailed to all faculty each semester. SOQs have 12 statements related to the instructor, the course syllabus, grading, and whether students would recommend the instructor.  Students indicate their evaluation for each statement (strongly agree – strongly disagree on a 5-1 scale). On the back are five open-ended questions.

NOTE: SOQs are not done for ENG 000 and a few other selected classes. Contactkathys@wccnet.edu if you have a question about SOQs for your class.

Are SOQs important?

At this time, SOQs are the primary instrument by which faculty are evaluated. The results will help you determine your teaching effectiveness; they are also used as an aid to future hiring of part-time instructors. Ask your students to take the SOQs seriously and to evaluate you as thoughtfully and carefully as you evaluate them. While some students might say, “Why do I have to complete these? No one ever reads them,” you can assure them they are read.

When are SOQs to be completed?

The SOQ schedule is emailed to all faculty before each semester and is attached to subsequent SOQ emails; it includes the SOQ period for each session length (5, 6, 7 ½, 10, 12, 15 weeks). The schedule is the same for face-to-face and online classes. For face-to-face students, you may want to schedule SOQ administration into your course handout and plan an activity to ensure student attendance on that day. Online instructors should likewise encourage students to complete the SOQs.

·     Face-to-face instructors will receive an email when their SOQs are available. Please pick these up as soon as you get the email (see “Where do I get my SOQ envelopes?” below). It’s a good idea to look at a form to familiarize yourself with it.

·     Online instructors and their students will receive an email when the SOQs are available, and a reminder email halfway through the evaluation period for that session.

Can I change the deadlines?

The scheduled deadlines are important! SOQs must be completed during the scheduled week(s) in order to enable their timely processing and get your results to you when the semester ends. In addition to the feedback the SOQs provide to instructors, the results of the SOQ may affect future hiring decisions and must be distributed quickly.

Where do I get my face-to-face SOQ envelopes? (No SOQs are mailed to students.)

ü     On-campus and MM (Mixed Mode) classes (see NOTE below): SOQs will be available the week before they are to be distributed in class. SOQ envelopes for full-time faculty are delivered to their campus mailboxes. Since there is no master list of part-time campus mailboxes, part-time instructors’ SOQ envelopes will be at the Office Professional’s desk in the buildings in which their classes are taught:

o     BE 200

o     GM 300

o     LA 178 (part-time faculty commons) for all classes held in the LA or SC building

o     ML Reception Desk

o     OE 102

o     TI 122

NOTE: If you are teaching an MM class and your students do not meet on campus during the scheduled SOQ week(s), please email kathys@wccnet.edu at the beginning of the semester to request those SOQs be put online. In the email, please include your name, course number/section/title/CRN and why your SOQs should be online. Traditional on-campus classes will not have online SOQs.

ü     Off-campus classes: SOQ envelopes will be delivered to your site coordinator to administer; they will follow the same schedule as on-campus classes.

ü     Online classes: SOQs will be available on the same schedule as on-campus classes. Instructors and students will receive an email when the SOQs are online, and a reminder to complete them a halfway through the evaluation period for that session. Please remind and encourage your students to complete the online SOQs.

What’s inside the SOQ envelopes?

1.     The number of forms equal to your class enrollment, downloaded a week or two before the envelope is prepared. The number does not include students who have withdrawn from your class at the time of the download.

2.     The class list for your class.

3.     Instruction sheet with faculty and student proctor instructions.

What’s the procedure for completing face-to-face SOQs?

During the evaluation week(s), take the SOQ envelope to your classroom. Take out a form and go over it with the class, especially emphasizing that students fill in bubbles solidly so responses are readable to the Scantron machine.

From the class list, select a student proctor who will distribute, collect and drop off the completed forms. Underline/circle that student’s name on the class list, and:

·     forward the class list to Kathy Stadtfeld in SC 265, or

·     ask your area secretary if s/he will forward it, or

·     drop it in any of the drop boxes listed on the student proctor instructions.

Please tell students:

·     Use a blue or black ink or a #2 pencil (no red or other color).

·     Fill in the bubbles SOLIDLY. No Xs. No check marks. No circles around the bubbles.

·     Write and fill in the CRN in the top box. (This is the 5-digit course reference number on the envelope label. Please write this number on the board so you will get your complete results for that CRN.)

·     Fill in only ONE bubble per question.

·     Write comments on the back of the form.

·     Instructors will not see the SOQ results until the semester had ended and grades have been submitted.

·     Students can take 10-15 minutes to complete the forms.

Give the envelope and instructions to the proctor and make sure s/he knows where to drop off the completed SOQs.  Ask him/her to let you when the SOQs have been completed and delivered to a drop box. Then leave the room; do not stay in the room while the SOQs are distributed and filled out.

When will I see my results?

SOQ results are compiled with all other instructors in your classification (full time or part time) after the semester has ended and the grading deadline has passed; there are no separate results for early sessions. A few days after the grading deadline, you can view your results online at MyWCC > Employee > Your SOQ Results.

If you have any questions, please ask your department chair or contact Kathy Stadtfeldkathys@wccnet.edu Thank you for your help in making this process easy, productive and valuable.