In May 2006, as part of a larger strategy to support and foster quality teaching and learning at UBC, the Vancouver Senate approved in principle recommendations related to student evaluations of teaching. These recommendations focused on supporting a modular evaluation process that enables the key stakeholders who influence the quality of the learning environment at UBC to ask relevant questions of students at appropriate times (concurrent and end of term, as appropriate) and then readily collect, analyze and interpret and share those data.
Guiding principles embedded in the recommendations were that evaluation of teaching should be student-focused, and that the products of evaluations be used to inform teachers on how they can continuously improve their practice and to support the university efforts to monitor and nurture its teaching and learning environments. The Senate charged the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee and the Office of the Provost with developing an implementation strategy for the recommendations. A joint committee (SEOT) was struck to address this charge and to draft a new policy document for Senate consideration.