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Dear Colleagues, I came across this piece and thought it worthy of debate on this listserv. While the answer to the question (see the email subject) may not be a straighforward "yes" or "no" - going by the comments on the Chronicle of Higher Education site where it was posted; see: http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/should-student-evalutions-be-anonymous/33905 I think, to some extent, anonymity may be waived, if transparency is what HEIs aspire to. Indeed such waivers need to be invoked especially where such evaluations can result in "firing" decisions by the higher administration. It also goes to highlight the reliability and validity concerns revolving around the students' evaluation of teaching (SETs) as a tool for identifying, and possibly addressing, learning needs/ achievements of students vis-a-vis faculty reviews (for tenure, promotion or even the sack). As always, your views on this topic are most welcome, as the debate on the academic freedom of faculty and the rights of students rages on. In the mean, however, perhaps something called the student charter may need to be reconsidered where students begin to be seen in the light of "employees with a contract" rather than fee paying "customers" of the university, "who are always right!" On a parting note, does the payment of tuition fees confer upon one the unreserved right to pass? Over to you. Regards, Nnamdi Madichie ____ AIB-L is brought to you by the Academy of International Business. For information: http://aib.msu.edu/community/aib-l.asp To post message: [log in to unmask] For assistance: [log in to unmask] AIB-L is a moderated list.