ASU was recently added to Pick A Prof, a Web site that allows students to view professors' grading histories, previous student evaluations and teaching styles.
Pick A Prof at www.pickaprof.com, is available to ASU students for the first time for the spring 2002 semester
"Pick A Prof is designed to help students find professors that teach in a way that they can learn from them," co-founder Chris Chilek said. "Three-quarters of the reviews praise the professors."
The site currently has grades and statistics from the spring 2001 semester, with plans to update it each semester. There are very few student evaluations because the site is new, Chilek said, but added that future semesters will bring more students to the site and in turn, more student evaluations.
The site will have 45 schools in the next couple of weeks, Chilek said, adding 10 to the 35 it already has.
"It could be helpful to students to have that type of information as long as they understand how it was collected," ASU Vice Provost for Research Jonathan Fink said. Fink thinks students might be reacting to things not related to the "academic quality of the instructors."
"I think it is a great concept and I am in favor of this," economics professor Stephen Happel said. However, he warned students not to take the reviews completely seriously because they could be unjustly biased.
Journalism professor Steve Doig said he disagreed with the grade history aspect of the site. Doig said that the site reported he gave 50 percent A's and 50 percent B's in his two classes while it also said he gave 65.5 percent A's and 28 percent B's overall.
"I am in favor of publishing student evaluations," Doig said. "I certainly have no objections to that. There is a lot more that goes into being a good teacher than the grades they give."
Many students think this site is important in knowing what teacher to choose when registering for classes.
"You are paying money and you want to make a good investment and by researching your professors it can let you know what to expect," pre-business sophomore Abraham Perez said.
"I would definitely use it (the site)," an undeclared sophomore Bobby Turnbow said. "You can take philosophy with one teacher and philosophy with another teacher and have a totally different class."
One alumnus relied on his friends for teacher advice.
"I am not sure how up to date and accurate the Web site would be," business graduate Michael Holtan said. "I trust friends and classmates more than a Web site."
Reach the reporter at kristinrose79@asu.edu.
