Course and Instructor Critique Program
Student feedback is essential to the continued improvement of the School of Medicine curriculum and the educational experiences of future students. Through the Course and Instructor Critique Program, the School evaluates instructional effectiveness, course design, the quality and alignment of assessments, and the overall academic experience. Course and instructor evaluations provide students with opportunities to comment on both instruction and assessment.
Comprehensive and candid student feedback supports academic quality assurance by helping the School maintain consistent instructional standards across sites and identify opportunities to improve curriculum delivery. Just as students expect a fair and accurate assessment of their academic performance, the School relies on students to provide thoughtful evaluations of their courses and instructors.
Participation in the Course and Instructor Critique Program is mandatory for all courses and clerkships and is considered a professional and academic responsibility comparable to all other required course activities, including examinations.
Student Participation
• Students must complete all required course and instructor evaluations within the designated evaluation period when notified by the Critiques Coordinator or Course Director.
• Failure to complete required evaluations constitutes noncompliance and may result in disciplinary action as determined by the relevant school or program.
• Student feedback must be professional, constructive, and respectful.
Administration of Evaluations
• The Critiques Coordinator will notify students when evaluation periods open and issue periodic reminders before the submission deadline.
• Evaluations must be completed within the announced time frame. Late submissions will not be accepted.
• Individual responses are kept confidential to encourage candid and thoughtful feedback.
Use of Evaluation Results
Survey results are disseminated to the appropriate instructors, course directors, department chairs, deans, and the Provost.
The Curriculum Committee and its subcommittees regularly review comprehensive evaluation results to support quality assurance, monitor comparability across courses, and identify areas requiring further analysis or action.
Course directors review and summarize course and instructor evaluation results from the previous term for the Curriculum Committee. The summary identifies areas receiving high ratings and positive feedback, as well as areas receiving lower ratings or constructive criticism. For areas requiring improvement, the course director describes planned changes and anticipated implementation dates.
At the beginning of each term, course directors communicate relevant findings from the previous term's evaluations and describe any changes made or planned in response. This communication closes the feedback loop by showing how student feedback has been considered and addressed.
Ongoing Student Feedback
In addition to the formal course and instructor evaluation process, course directors meet with Student Government representatives during each term to discuss current student feedback and concerns.