UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students at all Penn State campuses have two opportunities each semester to provide feedback on their courses, once in the middle of the semester and once at the end.
The Student Educational Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ) and the Mid-semester Student Educational Experience Questionnaire (MSEEQ) give students an avenue to provide anonymous feedback to their instructor on their learning experience, the course structure and the class environment. SEEQs, which are open in the final weeks of the semester, are part of how faculty members’ teaching is reviewed by their academic unit heads and instructional unit.
“The SEEQs and MSEEQs are key tools we use to improve teaching at Penn State,” said Kathy Bieschke, senior vice provost. “Student feedback helps faculty to understand their strengths as well as ways in which they can improve their teaching to enhance student learning outcomes.”
In spring 2025, MSEEQs for all courses will be open during weeks six and seven, from Monday, Feb. 17, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 2. MSEEQ responses are aggregated to ensure that the feedback is anonymous. Results are shared only with the instructor.
SEEQs, which are also anonymous, will be open the three weeks before finals begin, from Monday, April 14, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 4. The first four responses on the SEEQ will be seen by the instructor and their academic unit head. The final four responses of the SEEQ are open ended and only seen by the instructor. Students do not have to answer all questions in the SEEQ in order to submit the questionnaire.
Committee will continue to gather feedback and tweak SEEQs and MSEEQs
The SEEQ, which replaced the Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness (SRTE) in fall 2023, and the MSEEQ are part of the new Faculty Teaching Assessment Framework that arose from the work of the University Faculty Senate. The Standing Advisory Committee for Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness, which is charged with implementing the elements of the framework, will continue to gather feedback from the Penn State community in order to improve the MSEEQ and SEEQ.
The advisory committee during the 2024-25 academic year currently has 13 members:
- Nicole Andel, associate teaching professor of English and humanities, Penn State Schuylkill
- Victor Brunsden, associate professor of mathematics, Penn State Altoona
- Abby Diehl, associate vice provost for Faculty Affairs
- Paul Frisch, associate teaching professor of history, Penn State Scranton
- Angela Linse, associate dean and executive director of the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence
- Todd Migliaccio, vice chancellor and chief academic officer, Penn State Berks
- Renea Nichols, associate teaching professor of advertising/public relations, Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
- Ayden Meise, student representative, University Park Undergraduate Association, College of Education
- Yvette Richardson, senior associate dean for undergraduate education and professor of meteorology, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Eric Roman, associate teaching professor of photography, College of Arts and Architecture
- Denise Solomon, distinguished professor of communication arts and sciences, College of the Liberal Arts
- Theresa Vescio, professor of psychology, College of the Liberal Arts
- Mary Zaborskis, assistant professor of American studies and gender studies, Penn State Harrisburg