Examines the critical subject of student evaluations of teaching, furnishing both the research base behind the use of student ratings and practical suggestions for interpreting the data they provide. Focuses on all phases of the student rating process - from data gathering methods to presentation of results. Topics include methods of encouraging meaningful evaluations, midsemester feedback, uses of quality teams and focus groups, and creating questions that target individual faculty needs and interest. With a humorous look at the popular myths surrounding student evaluations and emerging research on what is known concerning student evaluations and their use, this volume argues that the evaluation of teaching is a learning process in itself. This is the 87th issue of the Jossey-Bass series New Directions for Teaching and Learning.