The Center of Innovation Teaching and Learning expanded an aspect of the Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) forms by including a new array of questions about diversity.

CITL added 12 pilot questions to the ICES forms last semester, after several departments expressed interest in adding questions that addressed student perception of instructor and course diversity.

Rajat Chadha, a CITL measurement specialist who revised and created the diversity questions, said the goal was to make students aware of the diversity on campus and in the professional world.

“There is a lot of emphasis on the industry because it’s industries that hire our graduates and almost all the time they’re dealing with people from diverse backgrounds, countries, cultures, religions, political views, and beliefs,” Chadha said. “Basically, everything, and it’s highly important that we consider these democratic outcomes.”

The 12 diversity questions are grouped into four main categories. The first and second categories evaluate how the instructor promoted collaboration on work and discussion among students with different backgrounds, beliefs and abilities. Instructors’ behavior also plays a role in the questions’ categorization; one question asks students to evaluate whether the instructor treated students with respect.

The last category analyzes how well instructors understand diverse perspectives. The questions ask students whether the instructor encouraged students to think broadly on certain topics and viewpoints and encouraged discussion of controversial topics related to the course.

Looking at the topic of diversity among students, Angela Wiscons a sophomore in Engineering, said she looks at the forms as a way for students to share their perspectives with the University.

“I don’t know if filling out a form will help in general to address an issue, but if there is an issue if a certain group of people are feeling left out, maybe this form will help to get their voices out and heard,” said Wiscons.

In terms of changing student perspective though, Jash Vora, freshman in Engineering, said he thinks the new questions will ultimately be ineffective among students who don’t accept different views.

“I don’t think it’s going to change the views of students,” he said. “This evaluation is simply asking questions and that’s all students are required to do. Being asked questions can’t really change views.”

Chadha said he hopes the new questions will leave an imprint on students and leads them to carry these values with them throughout their careers.

“We put a lot of emphasis on diversity in our education for a couple of reasons and that is to ensure desire democratic outcomes for students and addition to cognitive outcomes,” he said. “We want our graduates to have high civic engagements and appreciation of diversity. We want students to have respect for diversity.”

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