Problem is, of course, most schools promise anonymity with regard to student evaluations of teachers.

So what should this tell you, as a student, about student evalutions?

See the list below...

1) Don't use hateful bigoted language like the student involved in the controversy.

2) If you cannot follow number one, keep that language to yourself or to a group whom of people whom you know are also hateful.

Ok, so those are more life rules that happen to apply to evaluations. I'll be more specific about this...

3) Don't assume your evaluation is anonymous. And this is a shame. It never crossed my mind as a student that some of my evaluation comments might not be anonymous. I wrote them as such, often critiquing harshly and honestly those professors whom I felt deserved it for what I believed was poor classroom teaching style, performance, conduct, policies, etc.

After seeing this incident, I would think twice about giving honest feedback to a professor whom I felt wasn't doing a good job.

4) When critiquing, don't make it personal. Give feedback on teaching style, technique, etc.

This goes for personal information about you too, don't use any identifying information about yourself on the evaluation. Especially if you're going to give a bad evaluation, write with your left hand...or foot...in block letters. Or...

5) If nothing else, don't participate. The old rule: "if you can't say something nice...." If you feel too strongly or emotional in a negative way about a professor, fill in the scantron or "multiple choice" part of the evaluation as all ones and don't leave any comments.

MORE THOUGHTS...

The comments by the student in the story were inexcusable. But assuming this wasn't a legitimate threat of violence upon this professor, the school shouldn't have pursued it.

The student evaluation process is an important one, in my opinion as a recent student, for encouraging feedback to professors (or creating the illusion of feedback...or at least giving students a chance to vent or praise a teacher).

With some of those slightly paranoid items on the list above in mind, I certainly know that almost all professors would not pursue negative comments to seek revenge, either by reducing grades or by other means of punishment as in this case.

But with any chance of breached anonymity, there is very little incentive for me as a student to give honest feedback.

Here's more on this recent controversy.

• Tax Prof Blog
• A New York Times Article
• Volokh Conspiracy