Student Zone

If you experience a problem with the EvaluAction platform, visit the Technical support section to troubleshoot and find a quick solution. For any question regarding course evaluation and the EvaluAction platform or if you have comments or suggestions, please send us an email.
Five reasons to evaluate a course

- You can make things change! Your opinion can make the difference in the structure and the content of the course and, foremost, it can enhance student experience!
- You can make a better choice of courses! Look at past evaluations for a course or a professor to make your decision. You will know what to expect!
- It’s all online! You can evaluate your course anywhere and at anytime during the evaluation period with any device. It’s super easy!
- It’s anonymous! It is impossible for your professor to see your name or student number. Professors can only see their results once the final grades are considered official. Your answers and comments are therefore confidential.
- You can help other students! Your feedback will benefit the new cohort just like you already benefit from the evaluations of students that came before you.
How to evaluate your courses
During the two-week evaluation period, you can evaluate your courses online, regardless of where you are or what device you use (computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone. You only need a Wi-Fi connection.
1. Go to uoZone.
You will receive an email inviting you to evaluate your courses at the start of the evaluation period on the EvaluAction platform. You can also find the application in uoZone under the "Applications" tab. Select EvaluAction (Evaluation of Teaching and Courses).
2. Choose the course to evaluate.
In the EvaluAction platform*, you will see a list of all the courses you are taking at the moment. Choose one of these courses to evaluate it.
* Don't forget to select Mobile Version at the bottom of the screen if you are using a tablet, acellphone or any other mobile device.
3. Fill out the evaluation form.
Answer the questions and complete the “Comments” section*. This section aims to provide your professor with constructive criticism. Your comments are anonymous, and the professor will only receive them after the final grades have been published, a few weeks after the end of term.
Click Submit.
* Don't forget to select Mobile Version at the bottom of the screen if you are using a tablet, a cellphone or any other mobile device.
Find out more about effective feedback (accessible version).
Course Evaluation Report
You can review the evaluation results and see what your peers think! Who knows, it could help you pick your electives…
In uoZone, select Course Evaluation Reports under the “Applications” tab. To view the results, select a term, then search for the course code or the professor’s first or last name (not both!).
Frequently asked questions
Evaluation and its function
Who determines how course evaluations work?
These matters are handled by the Senate Committee on Teaching and Teaching Evaluation, made up of the Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs; one regular faculty member of each faculty; one regular faculty member of Saint Paul University; two part-time faculty members; two undergraduate student senators; two graduate student senators. The Committee meets between six to eight times a year to discuss evaluation issues.
Who reads these evaluations?
The answers to questions 1, 4 and 9 of the questionnaire, which constitute the A-report, are seen by the dean and the chair of the academic unit. The Personal Report is seen by the professor and serves to improve his teaching.
The Joint Committee of the Senate and of the Board of Governors examines very carefully the Teaching Dossier of a professor (which includes the A reports) to determine the granting of a promotion or tenure. A professor who has poor teaching assessments may be denied a promotion or tenure.
Impact of evaluations
Do evaluations count for anything?
The main purpose of all questions is to obtain feedback from students on a course and a professor’s teaching skills. This information can help professors gauge their abilities and improve their teaching skills. It also helps other students learn about how a course was taught.
At the same time, three of the questions — tabulated in a report called the A-Report — have a more specific purpose. They ask students to evaluate how well professors prepare for class, how well they convey the subject matter, and their general ability as a teacher. These criteria are formally included in the collective agreement that binds individual faculty members and the University. The results of the A-Report are scored on a five-point scale and can be considered by deans and department chairs when making career and professional advancement decisions.
Can an evaluation change a course?
Depending on the nature and extent of the feedback, a course evaluation could lead to significant changes in features such as the use of technology in a course, the course structure, timing and weight of evaluations such as tests, and other learning activities that take place. As such, evaluations could be the catalyst for redesigning a course. However, it is important to note that such changes could only be implemented the next time the course is given, not during the term during which the evaluation takes place.
Can a professor be rewarded for a good evaluation?
Yes. Professors may be nominated for various awards and scholarships if their teaching skills clearly and significantly exceed expectations. Each year, the University gives out the Excellence in Education Prizes, the Distinguished University Professor Award and the Excellence in Teaching Award to highlight the work of exceptional educators and outstanding teaching. Also, professors may be nominated by their faculty to receive a faculty award for professor of the year.
In addition, there are provincial awards presented by organizations such as the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, as well as national distinctions, such as the prestigious 3M Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. Positive evaluations may also play a role in a professor’s contract renewal for tenure-track positions, or contract renewals for part-time professors.
Can a professor be fired for a bad evaluation?
The answer depends on the status of the professor as either a part-time or regular full-time faculty member. Part-time professors are evaluated primarily on their teaching records, while full-time professors are evaluated on all aspects of their academic performance, including research, academic service and teaching.
Part-time professors who consistently get poor teaching evaluations can lose seniority points when they re-apply for a teaching job, which often means that these professors’ contracts will not be renewed.
In the case of regular professors, unsatisfactory evaluations may influence advancement opportunities, including eligibility for tenure. The summary of the answers to the three questions constituting the A-Report for the last three years of teaching for a given professor is compared to the results of his colleagues in the same faculty. A consistently poor evaluation record might raise questions about the course structure, delivery or the professor's ability and/or effort in teaching. Such findings may lead to denial of tenure and disciplinary action.
What does the University do about a bad evaluation?
If the dean has good reason to believe that the quality of a regular teacher's teaching is unsatisfactory, he or she may implement a direct peer review of teaching (Article 24.2.2 of the Collective Agreement of the APUO) and disciplinary measures can be put in place.
For a part-time professor, unsatisfactory teaching performance may result in a refusal of the request for contract renewal. In general, a cumulative average below 2.9/5.0 signals to administrators that an individual may require help with teaching skills.
How are courses allocated to professors?
Full-time faculty members submit their preferences to their respective dean and chair, who then try to balance the teaching loads of every member of a department. Courses are often assigned even if no one asks to teach them, but sometimes, there are simply not enough potential teachers among the regular faculty members. These openings are then advertised as part-time positions, and previous teaching evaluations often serve as one of the applicants’ key qualifications.
Part-time faculty applying for these positions may have an advantage if they have maintained a good average in their A-Report, a set of three questions in the teaching evaluation that are included in the collective agreement that binds faculty members and the University. These questions deal with how well the professor prepares for class, how well they convey the subject matter, and their general ability as a teacher.
Evaluation Periods
Winter 2021
March 29 to April 14
Spring-Summer 2021
Session A: July 12 to 23
Session B: June 1 to 12
Session C: July 19 to 30
Session D: August 12 to 23
Fall 2021
November 22 to December 3
We want to hear what you have to say!

Computing laboratories on campus
To find a computer near you, take a look at the list.