Graduate School
Frequently Asked Questions	Policy

Graduate Evaluations

Why are we doing this?

Most importantly, to help students complete their degrees in a timely fashion. "Research suggests that formal annual evaluations tend to increase the number of students who complete, and are therefore preferable to sporadic and informal reviews. … Some form of progress-tracking, annually or each semester, allows the student and supervisor to meet and establish objectives for the year. This ensures that both students and advisors be held accountable for timely progress and constructive feedback." Council of Graduate Schools, "PhD Completion and Attrition." Secondarily, for accreditation purposes, departments must be able to provide documentation showing they evaluated every graduate teaching assistant and doctoral student at least once per academic year. This site was created to make it easy for you.

Do we have to record evaluations for all three terms?

No, the requirement is once per academic year. We provide the ability to record evaluations by term for those students whose supervisors or results are not the same each term. When we run reports to check compliance, we will check to see that at least one term has an evaluation.

Who is able to see these evaluations?

GPOs and department staff who provide their Auburn University credentials and the common department credentials can see students from their department. Additionally, students' supervisors can see their students.

What should I do if the supervisor name is wrong on one of my students?

The GTA list is provided by HR, so any corrections would need to be made at the source. Our only purpose for including the supervisor was to allow that person to perform the evaluation instead of the department, in those cases where the supervisor is in another area. If all evaluations are handled inside your department, the supervisor information is superfluous.

Why are there three options for the evaluations results?

In most cases, the response will be either "Satisfactory" or "Unsatisfactory". In unusual cases, if additional explanation is warranted, choose "Other-See Attachment" and provide the appropriate documentation.

Are attachments required?

Departments are strongly encouraged to provide documentation for all reviews (for accreditation purposes), but documentation for unsatisfactory results is even more important. To avoid potential grievances, the basis for unsatisfactory performance should be documented in case remediation or termination is warranted. An attachment is required to support "Other-See Attachment" results. Please note that any attachments must be added at the same time the result is recorded. For system integrity, evaluations may not be edited after they are saved.

Can I attach more than one document?

Only one attachment is allowed per student, per term, per evaluation type; however, you can combine your documents into one before attaching, or you can attach your second document on a separate term. Since the Graduate School only requires an evaluation on one term per year, that leaves any others available for your own purposes.

How can I correct a mistake?

Please email support for corrections or any other assistance with the site.

What if my question has not been answered here?

Please email support, or call the Graduate School at 334-844-4700 and ask for IT assistance.