The Student Association deserves commendation for completing the Academic Update – a valuable online tool for any student wishing to find out more information about a course or professor.
The Web feature beautifully displays data collected from 14,467 student surveys of 809 courses taught by 422 professors during the fall semester of 1999 – quite a marvelous feat from a student organization that had been derided for inactivity. Liz Cox, SA vice president of Academic Affairs, as quarterback of the venture, represents what hard work within the SA can achieve.
Attitude Research, a consulting firm, was contracted by the SA to compile the data and display it in a viewable manner. Information from 17 categories is included on the Web site, which can be found at www.attituderesearch.com/gwu/. Students can see how many of their peers expected to get an `A’ in a course, or whether their peers thought a professor’s teaching style facilitated note taking.
The academic update gives students a comprehensive view of what their peers think about the fall’s courses. The Academic Update – an unqualified success – exemplifies what the SA is capable of achieving.
