Information for academics

SELT request process instructions

1. Course convenors must complete the eForm that is emailed to them on dates outlined in the SELT timetable.
2. Course convenors must complete an eForm for each of their classes, including the names of all teachers who contributed to the course. This may include themselves, lecturers, tutors, demonstrators, etc.

Promotional Materials 

In order to achieve higher response rates to SELT surveys, engagement and promotion from academic staff is highly encouraged. We have created resources to assist teaching staff in promoting SELT to their students, available under Reference Documents.

Further reading for academics:

Blog - Getting ready for SELT

Resource page - Engaging with SELT surveys
 

Frequently Asked Questions (Academics)

Mandatory SELT

SELT became mandatory to run for all eligible ANU courses from Semester 2, 2020. To clarify, for students, completing the survey is voluntary.

What do Course Convenors need to do?

Course convenors must complete and submit the SELT eForms they receive by the specified deadlines. The eForm includes a drop down menu for easy selection of teaching staff, designed to streamline this process. Course convenors are required to identify all teachers who contributed to their course, whether lecturers, tutors, demonstrators, etc. The purpose is to ensure anyone who delivered teaching can receive student feedback on their teaching. The Associate Deans (Education) can advise on any uncertainty, and approve exemptions if necessary.

What is the consequence of not submitting a SELT eForm?

If a SELT eForm is not submitted, an automatic process will be initiated to ensure that the course element is run. A report will also be sent to each College Associate Dean (Education) (ADE) outlining any incomplete eForms (i.e. no teaching staff identified). This is intended to facilitate communication between the ADE and relevant staff about this new process.

It is considered a breach of ANU survey policy to not request teaching surveys for all applicable teachers. The consequences include depriving teachers of feedback for self-development and promotion purposes as well as depriving students the opportunity to provide specific teacher feedback.

Requesting SELT surveys

How are SELT surveys requested?

Course convenors will be emailed a survey request link for each of their courses. The request is made through an easy-to-use eForm, allowing the convenor to select all the teachers who contributed to the course.

When is the best time to submit my SELT request eForm?

Semester 1 and 2 eForms can be submitted at any time in the defined submission window.

For non-standard (Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring) sessions:

•  After you receive your SELT request eForm, the best time to submit it is after you believe enrolment numbers are generally stable. In other words, when you think most/all of the expected number of students have enrolled. This is because the survey recipient list is generated when the eForm is submitted. Waiting until most/all of the students have enrolled in the course ensures that as many students as possible have the opportunity to provide feedback.
•  Your request should also be submitted at least five working days before the survey start date (if possible), allowing enough time for processing by the Institutional Research team.
•  If you are unsure and would like some advice about survey dates, please contact the Institutional Research team.

Are SELT surveys mandatory?

Yes. Convenors are required to request SELT surveys, including teaching surveys for all the teachers in their courses. To clarify, for students, completing the survey is voluntary.

SELT-applicable classes are confirmed by the Associate Deans (Education) before each teaching session.

Exceptions to mandatory course evaluation are possible if SELT survey questions are not appropriate for a course type, such as thesis based courses, or if there are extenuating circumstances. Exceptions by extenuating circumstances are rare and must be approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

What is the grade release date and why is it important?

The grade release date is the date students receive their course results. This occurs on the same date for all courses run in either Semester 1 or Semester 2, but varies significantly for courses run in Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.

SELT surveys are scheduled to close before the grade release date, to avoid student feedback being adversely affected by grades. Similarly, academic staff cannot view their SELT survey results until after the grade release date, to avoid grades being adversely affected by student feedback.

Who should I request teaching surveys for when completing the eForm?

From Semester 2, 2020, all teachers who contributed teaching to the course must be included in SELT. This can include convenors, lecturers, tutors, guest lecturers, instructors, demonstrators, etc. Teaching surveys are useful for self-reflection on the teaching and learning experience and for seeking promotion. Students will be able to select which specific teachers they wish to provide feedback on when they complete their surveys.

As a course convenor, don't forget to include yourself if you also have a teaching role in the course.

Who do I contact to change course data, such as course convenor or course dates?

Each College will have one or more designated staff performing this role. Reaching out to your school admin team in the first instance should enable you to request changes to course information most efficiently.

What do I need to know to set my survey start and end dates for a non-standard session?

Due to non-standard (Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring) courses running at varying times, there are no fixed start and end dates as is the case for Semesters 1 and 2. It is up to the course convenor to decide the survey start and end dates for courses in non-standard sessions.

Typically, a survey should start approximately 80% into the teaching component, and finish after all assessment has been undertaken by students, including exams. The survey must close before the grades are released to students.

Consequently, the eForm will also ask you to identify the date by which the course results will be submitted for processing. For non-standard sessions this is taken to be the earliest possible grade release date.

I received an eForm but am not the convenor. How can I get an eForm reassigned?

If you receive an eForm and are not the relevant course convenor, you are advised to pause the form without submitting and contact the Institutional Research team. They will be able to re-assign the form for you.

General SELT

How do students complete an online student survey?

Students will be emailed a survey link for each class they are enrolled in for that session, sent to their ANU email address.

The invitation emails will be sent from the ANU Institutional Research team (evaluations@anu.edu.au).

In addition to invitation emails, unique links to surveys will also be available in Wattle. These links will be in the Evaluations (SELT) block located at the bottom of the Wattle dashboard after students log in.

Are survey responses confidential?

Yes, SELT responses are confidential.

Confidential feedback means that information about who provided SELT feedback will not be disclosed to course convenors or teachers. The Institutional Research team can only identify a student response in very specific circumstances, including cases where there is concern for student or staff welfare.

It may be possible for teachers to identify students through the specific feedback that they provide, or due to small class sizes. The University's policy and procedure specify that staff must act ethically with student feedback.

How do I access my results?

Qualitative course and teaching results (with student comments) are made available to relevant staff in ANU Insight on dates outlined in the SELT Timetable.

Information on using Insight can be found on the SELT results page.

Quantitative course results (ratings out of 5) are published on ANU Insight for surveys that have received 5 or more responses.

Can I access my results earlier?

Academic staff can request their SELT results earlier than the dates specified in the SELT Timetable, but only after certain conditions have been met: students must have received their grades, and the College, School or Examinations Office must have confirmed this.

You can request course and/or teaching results early by emailing the Institutional Research team and confirming that grades have been released for the class(es) in question. This confirmation must take one of the following forms:

•  An email from a College representative who is a Student Administration Manager, or a more senior person (e.g. College Manager, Associate Dean Education).
•  An email from a School representative who is a School Manager, or more senior person (e.g. Head of School)
•  Any email correspondence from the Examinations Office confirming release of grades to students.

Who is able to view SELT results?

Qualitative course results (with student comments) are available to the relevant course convenors, lecturers and tutors on ANU Insight. Individual teaching results are provided to the teacher and can be requested by their relevant management line and the College and University Executive.

Quantitative course results (ratings out of 5) are available to staff via ANU Insight. Staff and students can also view these results on individual course pages via Programs and Courses.

When will results be released for non-standard sessions (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring)?

SELT results are released after grades have been released to students. In order to standardise this process for non-standard sessions, Spring (of previous year) and Summer results are released at the same time as Semester 1 results, and Autumn and Winter results at the same time as Semester 2, as outlined in the SELT Timetable. Results can be requested earlier than these scheduled dates on request, but the Institutional Research team will first require confirmation that grades have been released.