Pros, cons of professor Web reviews

By Teri H.P. Nguyen
Daily Bruin Contributor

UCLAProfessors.com,
a site where professors are rated, may be helpful for students, but
some professors consider it inappropriate for academia.

“What good does it do to call professors names, or to
publically humiliate a professor? This behavior does not teach
students to face their instructors directly,” said chemistry
professor Betty Luceigh.

Site comments range from professor difficulty in grading and
availability and effectiveness, to accents, dress and speaking
style, resulting in such ratings as “great professor,”
“easy grader,” “avoid at all costs” and
“worst professor at UCLA.”

Despite high marks and positive reviews she’s received
from students, Luceigh said the site is not an expression of free
speech because it allows students to make claims without taking
responsibility for their words.

The site effects her emotionally, she said.

“When I go into class, I think, “˜Who hates me so
much that they would do that?'” Luceigh said. “I
have considered leaving UCLA if this is the direction the students
are going in.”

Even praise and positive comments create unrealistic
expectations for professors, “who are human and make
mistakes,” Luceigh said.

Avishai Shraga, director of bruinwalk.com and creator of
UCLAProfessors.com, said that only through anonymity can there be
open and candid comments.

“If a person cares that the professor is bad then they can
vent and warn others against this professor,” Shraga said,
adding that students would be more hesitant if the comments were
not anonymous.

“All reviews should be taken with a grain of salt,”
he said, agreeing that the site is biased.

Each review must meet certain criteria before being posted: the
review must be useful; there can be no name-calling or accusations;
and there can’t be any foul language, Shraga said.

“We remove (the review) immediately when someone
complains. It happens on a weekly basis,” Shraga said.
“The site is not responsible if it encourages this type of
behavior.”

In addition to the anonymous comments, some, like mathematics
professor Michael Leonard, fear that the site lacks security. Any
student with a Bruin Online account can comment on any professor,
whether or not the student took the class for the whole 10
weeks.

Neurobiology professor Robert Frank also noticed that some
comments were made by students who have not completed the
course.

“Although it’s a good idea for students to have a
place to give their opinions on the course, judgements should not
be made prematurely but should be based on the entirety of the
course,” he said.

The site could hurt instructors because it might decrease
enrollment, possibly resulting in cancellation of a course, thus
compromising some professors’ salary, Leonard said.`

Luceigh said the anonymity of the site and lack of security
leaves her feeling defenseless, as if she is standing on Bruin Walk
with a paper bag over her head with a bucket of tomatoes in front
of her as she carries a sign that reads, “Throw at
will.”

Despite negative evaluations, some professors said the site
benefits both students and professors because it allows professors
to improve their own teaching techniques.

Though the site gives students more time to write their
evaluations as opposed to the course evaluations given in class,
there should be limitations, Leonard said.

“This is tough because in the U.S. in general, teachers
are being blamed for student’s academic endeavors or failures
““ things they shouldn’t be blamed for,” Leonard
said.

Frank said that the site is a good idea as long as it maintains
accuracy and credibility; otherwise it becomes a veritable
“gossip board” for students.