It's crunch time for students worrying about final grades, but professors also are expecting report cards.
Students are logging on to several Web sites as the semester ends to rate professors and view ratings for tips on choosing classes for next semester.
Pickaprof.com, Ratemyprofessors.com, and Rateaprof.com provide ASU students and students nationwide with a forum to rate their instructors' performances.
Professors are rated on everything from homework load to appearance by some of ASU's students.
Ratemyprofessors.com has rankings available for 1,073 ASU professors.
ASU political science professor Richard Herrera, who is rated 4.6 out of 5 in overall quality on Ratemyprofessors.com, said he had concerns about the process.
"The difficulty is students are relying on what four people said," he said. "Granted, that's better than nothing."
Herrera said he believes students can get a better idea of professors from friends who have previously had them.
"Friends might get a better sense of if a professor is good for you," he added.
Speech and hearing associate professor Tamiko Azuma, who is rated on Ratemyprofessors.com, agreed with Herrera.
"Talk to friends," she said. "That is where you get good info."
She added it could be a good resource but could lead to danger of professors making their classes easier based on the ratings.
Philosophy professor Brad Armendt, who is also listed on Ratemyprofessors.com, said he has not looked at the sites to see how students have rated him, but he said now that he knows of the sites, he would likely look at them.
He said he does not remember hearing about other colleagues looking at their ratings either.
"What's significant is that the students look at them," he said.
Though not all students are using the Web sites, many have heard of them.
"It seems like it's mostly big classes, which doesn't help a senior," said anthropology senior Laurie Rogers.
Other students do find it helpful.
"I think it's good for kids to check out what professors they have," said finance sophomore Ian Pasek. "Why get a bad professor when you can get a good one?"
Pickaprof.com charges students for its service. It allows students to view the percentage of each letter grade the professor has given in the past. The Web site has a schedule planner and textbook reservation option.
Students can rate 4,235 professors on Ratemyprofessors.com. Professors are rated on this site in characteristics of easiness, helpfulness, clarity, appearance and interest in the class. There is also room for students to include comments.
Rateaprof.com does not require the user to register. It allows comments, rather than just ratings on categories, such as how they dress, the number of tests the professor gives, the amount of homework, the amount of difficulty, expected grade, overall rating, probability of taking another class with this professor and additional comments.
Reach the reporter at katherine.ruark@asu.edu.
