The Battalion
STATE & LOCAL
3
Thursday, February 16,1989
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‘Cafeteria style’
By Melissa Naumann
REPORTER
Students may have noticed some
thing different last semester when
they filled out teacher evaluations —
the forms only included questions
that actually pertained to the class.
This is a result of a new evaluation
form used last semester by the Col
lege of Liberal Arts, the College of
Architecture and some individual
departments wit hin other colleges.
The form lets instructors choose
different questions for different
classes.
Because so many different parties
have an interest in the teacher eval
uations, Measurement and Research
Services has developed an evaluation
that is “cafeteria style,” allowing
deans, department heads and in
structors to be involved in choosing
questions.
Dr. Mark Troy, research psychol
ogist and project coordinator, said
the new evaluations focus on useful
ness.
“We want to increase the validity
of the ratings and increase the use
fulness of the information for fac
ulty and departments,” he said. “By
allowing different stakeholders to
have input, information will be more
useful.”
The new evaluations consist of
questions chosen from an item cata
log. The dean of a college can select
questions pertaining to that college,
a department head can select ques-
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CORRECTION
A story in Wednesday’s Bair.;/-
tori incorrectly reported the name
of the person nominated to the
University of Texas System
Board of Regents by Gov. Bill
Clements. The individual’s name
is Mario Ramirez.
Ramirez was named after
Chester Upham Jr. withdrew
himself for consideration when
Clements was criticized for nomi
nating three white males to the
Board.
The Batruhon regrets the er-
tor.
forms increase validity, usefulness of answers
tions important to his department
and instructors can choose the re
maining questions.
The evaluations include 15 ques
tions chosen by the dean and depart
ment heads. The remaining five
questions can be selected by instruc
tors from an item bank with ques
tions on everything from feedback
to organization. The item bank also
includes questions on laboratory as
signments, reading assignments and
writing assignments.
Dr. Tom Matthews, associate di
rector of Measurement and Re
search Services, said faculty involve
ment in the choice of questions will
improve the evaluation process.
“Faculty members are more likely
to use information they have helped
to develop,” he said.
The new form will also eliminate
irrelevant questions.
“Instruction is implemented in all
kinds of settings and one evaluation
form cannot do the job in all situa
tions,” Matthews said, “In some
classes, some questions just don’t ap-
ply.”
Troy said teachers can ask ques
tions on subjects other than teaching
quality with the new evaluations.
“Some questions, like on the qual
ity of textbooks, can help the faculty
without hurting their tenure possi
bilities,” he said.
Since an evaluation can include
questions unique to a particular class,
students are expected to answer the
questions more carefully, Matthews
said.
“Students hopefully will take
them more seriously because the
questions are tailored to their clas
ses,” he said.
The new evaluation form includes
other unique features.
A space for general background
information has been added as well
as space for more specific informa
tion that an instructor might need to
accurately assess his evaluations,
Matthews said.
“This form, in addition to student
judgments, provides information on
who the students were,” he said. “It’s
important for the faculty to know
who the students are that rate them
and take their courses.”
Although the evaluation was first
used last semester, the Faculty Sen
ate approved a recommendation on
some new type of student-rating sys
tem two years ago.
The most recent committee,
formed to work out details, was
formed in Fall 1987.
The Student Senate also played a
role in the development of the eval
uation by submitting five questions
for the item bank.
Since then, the evaluation has
been used on a trial basis, Troy said.
“I’m glad the whole University
hasn’t been using it so far,” he said.
“We needed this pilot program to
work out the bugs.”
Dr. Chuck Stoup, senior academic
business administrator in the Col
lege of Liberal Arts, said the college
will continue to use the new forms.
“I think they were effective com
pared to forms we used in the past,
which were more detailed and took
longer to fill out,” Stoup said. “We
were pleased enough with the way
they ran and the results we got with
them to continue using them.”
Proposed exchange program
may trade Aggies for Soviets
By Kelly S. Brown
STAFF WRITER
A proposal is being made by A&M officials to begin
an exchange program with the Soviet Union in which
students who are specializing in regional studies dealing
with Soviet-East European affairs can travel to the So
viet Union to research.
Ron Hatchett, associate director of programs at
Mosher Institute for Defense Studies, said the institute
is studying the proposal with a favorable eye, but coor
dination with other University officials will be necessary
before making any type of committment.
The idea was presented to the Soviets earlier this
month after Mosher held its first international confer
ence on arms control in Houston. The conference drew
top arms negotiators from the Soviet Union, the United
States and most European countries.
During the conference, representatives from the In
stitute for the Study of the United States and Canada
invited Dr. Frank E. Vandiver and Hatchett to visit the
Soviet Union in May to discuss possible forms of coop
eration between their institute and the Mosher Insti
tute.
“One thing mentioned is they would be interested in
the possibility of sending two students from the Soviet
JJnion on exchange programs to America,” Hatchett
said.
“This would be a chance for a student specializing in
a subject like political science, history or geography who
deals in Soviet-East European affairs, to go to the Soviet
Union and do research,” he said. “They would be spon
sored by a Soviet institute and therefore have better ac
cess to their library and archives.”
In turn, Soviet students who are working on U.S.
topics would be sponsored by the Mosher Institute to
come to A&M, Hatchett said. The exchange program
would possibly last 60-90 days.
Victim advises students
about rape protection
By Juliette Rizzo
STAFF WRITER
It happened to her, it can happen
to you.
They were casually strolling
around the University of Houston
campus last spring, she and her “big
guy friend” that is, when a man
walked by with his hands tucked in
conspicuously into his pockets.
“Hi, how are you doing?” were the
last friendly words the man uttered.
Their adrenalin levels rose signifi
cantly as he pulled out a gun and de
manded their jewelry and money.
But, he wanted more.
She was raped as her friend lay
helpless after he was hit with the pis
tol and had his nose broken.
Afterward, the attacker told her
friend to strip, too. He then left
them lying naked with the threat
that if they moved before the count
of one hundred, he would be back
for her friend.
They were the fifth couple in less
than two hours to be robbed by this
man. Melanie Strickland was the
only one raped.
“It’s a matter of circumstance,”
the Houston pharmacology major
said. “We were in the wrong place at
the wrong time.”
In an informal, realistic presenta
tion as part of Texas A&M’s
C.A.R.E. (Creating Attitudes for a
Rape-free Environment) week,
Strickland told about her personal
experience with rape and gave tips
on preventing such occurences from
happening to others on and off col
lege campuses. She stressed campus
safety and security for both males
and females.
It seems surprising, she said, but
rape happens to one in four women
and one in seven men.
She said because A&M is such a
large campus, all students need to be
aware of their defenses in case of an
attack. There is an equal danger for
both sexes.
“Men need to be aware, too,” she
said. “If the attacker has a gun, it
does not matter how big the victim
is. The one with the gun is in con
trol, or so he thinks.”
She said all student? should be re
minded that there is strength in
numbers and to never walk alone
unless they have to.
“Women should dress to run,”
Strickland said. “They should wear
shoes and carry their heels.”
“If attacked, passive resistance is
an option,” she said. “If you don’t
struggle, the attacker may not use
his weapon, if he has one.”
She said that if a person chooses
not to resist, he should keep his eyes
open wide to get an extremely de
tailed description of the attacker.
WTSU ponders
possible merger
with A&M or UT
CANYON (AP) — Regents at
West Texas State University will
present a report in May on the
possibility of merging the school
into the University of Texas or
Texas A&M systems.
The board on Tuesday ap
pointed a committe to study pos
sible benefits of a merger to sur-
rounding Panhandle
communities.
Rep. John Smithee and State
Sen. Teel Bivins have said they
will file legislation proposing the
merger depending on the out
come of the study.
Recent merger agreements
have been reached at Pan Ameri
can University in Edinburg,
which will join the UT system,
and Texas A&I University in
Kingsville, which will become
part of the A&M system.
Proponents of the move say a
merger would enhance funding
capabilities, broaden curriculum,
expand facilities and increse pres
tige to attract faculty and stu
dents.
However, some local control
over the school would be lost be
cause the independent board of
regents would be replaced.
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RRTEteST
March 6-March 31
Texas A&M Annual Juned Competition of Student Art
Sponsored by MSC VISUAL ARTS
Rules
-Open only to current TAMU students
(must show student ID)
-Entries must be ready to show
-Entries must have been completed
within the last year
-Winners will be exhibited in the MSC
Gallery for the entire duration of Artfest
-Prize $100 Best of Show
Categories
Drawing Painting Crafts Photography
Sculpture Mixed Media
Accepting
Entries will be accepted
March 1 -3, 1989
11-3 p.m.
MSC Gallery $4/entry-limit 4
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