In a 2014 study titled “An Evaluation of Course Evaluations,” researcher Philip B. Stark concluded that “the common practice of relying on averages of student teaching evaluation scores as the primary measure of teaching effectiveness should be abandoned for substantive and statistical reasons.” So, what’s the problem? Now that many, perhaps most, colleges and universities use online evaluations, response rates are not nearly as good as for in-class evaluations. Lower response rates, Stark points out, can skew statistical averages, especially because online surveys are affected by student motivation: those who are most unhappy, even angry, are more likely than are happy, satisfied students to complete the survey. In short, if the response rate is low, the data are not likely to be representative of the whole class. (p. 5)
Character (Still) Counts: Moral Injury and the Case for Character Education
Many academic leaders remember the Character Counts! initiative from the 1990s and early 2000s. It was visible in schools and youth programs nationwide, emphasizing as core values the Six Pillars
Teresa Maggard Stephens
June 15, 2026
