The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted various aspects of daily life, including the dynamics between students and faculty on college campuses. With the shift to virtual classes and universities navigating unprecedented challenges, student-faculty relations have likely evolved. Understanding how students perceive their professors can provide valuable insights into a college or university’s overall perceived value. If students do not view their professors as qualified and informed, it can adversely affect the institution’s reputation and effectiveness.
In April 2022, Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse conducted a survey with over 2,000 student participants from more than 100 higher education institutions. The survey aimed to gauge students’ evaluations of their professors and instructors, focusing on academic rigor, choice of instructional materials, course knowledge, and the ability to connect and build relationships with students.
Key Findings from the Survey
The survey data can be disaggregated by various factors, including gender, race, expected graduation year, major, religion, political leaning, financial aid qualification, sexual orientation, and whether the institution is a two-year or four-year school. This allows for a nuanced analysis of the results from multiple perspectives.
Faculty Bias and Grading Fairness
One area of interest is students’ perceptions of faculty bias, particularly regarding grading fairness. The survey revealed that political affiliation influenced these perceptions. Students identifying as Weak Republicans and Strong Republicans expressed higher levels of disagreement with the statement, “In general, my professors grade fairly,” with 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively, disagreeing somewhat. In comparison, Weak Democrats expressed this sentiment at a rate of 5 percent, suggesting that concerns about grading fairness transcend political lines.
Building Relationships with Students
When assessing professors’ ability to build relationships with students, respondents from all political affiliations rated their professors as “Excellent” or “Good” at least 50 percent of the time. This trend held true when the data were broken down by gender, race, year of study, major, religion, and sexual orientation.
Racial and Ethnic Differences
While most survey questions did not reveal significant attitudinal differences among students of varying backgrounds, some results indicated that students of different races and ethnicities have distinct experiences. For example, when asked about their professors’ ability to build relationships with students, black undergraduates rated faculty as “Excellent” or “Good” only 51 percent of the time, compared to 62 percent for white students and 67 percent for mixed-race students. Additionally, Asian students, possibly aware of ongoing discussions about their representation on American campuses, “strongly agreed” that their papers were graded fairly only 32 percent of the time, which is 12 percentage points lower than the overall rate of 44 percent.
Conclusion
Overall, student impressions of faculty performance remain largely positive, which is a promising indicator for the future of higher education. Despite concerns that American colleges may be wasteful, overpriced, and ideologically biased, it appears that undergraduate students still hold their professors in high regard. While this is not a comprehensive solution to all issues facing higher education, it is a positive sign that should not be overlooked. The continued respect for faculty suggests a foundation upon which further improvements in the educational system can be built.
