EKU Course Evaluations

EKU transitioned to Watermark for course evaluations in Fall 2022. 

Quick Links:

• Instructions for Adding Custom Questions
• Instructions for Monitoring Response Rates
• Instructions for Accessing Reports
• Request for Additional Administrator Access (to be filled out by Department Chairs)

What is Watermark?

Watermark Course Evaluations & Surveys is software created exclusively for higher education to capture and analyze student feedback on their classroom experience.

How do students access?

Students access course evaluations from a link sent to their student email or through their main Blackboard page by accessing Tools in the left-hand menu and clicking on the Course Evaluations & Surveys box. 

How do faculty access? 

Faculty access is the same as students - via an emailed link or through Blackboard using the same steps as above. Faculty will have their own dashboard in which their courses are displayed, where custom questions can be added, response rate monitoring will occur, and results will be displayed and stored. 

Is the survey instrument the same?

Yes, the course evaluation instrument remains unchanged for longitudinal data reportng purposes. The core instrument was developed by a faculty workgroup in 2016 and the optional lab instrument in 2017. eCampus beginning Fall 2023 will use the same main campus core instrument in addition to the eCampus course design questionnaire used since 2015.

Are faculty able to add questions?

Yes, we still have customizable survey options. Existing departmental questions have been moved over and chairs and/or program coordinators will have the ability to add questions to the department, program, or course level. Faculty may choose to add supplemental questions to their individual courses. Use this step-by-step guide for detailed instructions on how to add questions.

Will faculty be able to monitor response rates?

Yes, response rate monitoring will occur inside the dashboard. Use this step-by-step guide for assistance.

Watermark also published this article that details steps on how to access, filter, and export data. Some features described have been disabled to protect student anonymity.

What is reporting like?

Administrators and faculty will access their personalized dashboards from the emailed link or from Blackboard as described above. Results will be available each semester after final grades are submitted for 16-week courses. Use this step-by-step guide for help with accessing reports.

Watermark also has several articles and video tutorials posted in their Help Center. Scroll down to see all categories or use the Search Bar to look for specific features.

How do faculty access reports from prior semesters?

Past course evaluation reports for Main Campus courses from Fall 2016 to present are now in your Watermark dashboard. Lab courses that participate in the Lab Project have been imported back to Fall 2017. eCampus course evaluation reports have been imported back to Fall 2015. Beginning Fall 2023, Main Campus and eCampus reports are housed together in the same project. This step-by-step guide provides instructions and screenshots detailing how to access results as an instructor and administrator. 

I'm the program director in our department. How do I get administrator access?

University policy limits course evaluation report access to faculty and their department chairs. In some cases, granting permission for access to course evaluations to others, e.g. program coordinators or directors, is useful. Department chairs may complete this form to request access for others in addition to themselves. The Email Recipient section of the form is intended to collect the appropriate dean's email address to obtain signature approval for granting access. Once signed by the dean, it will automatically route to Institutional Effectiveness and Research to fullfill the request. 

Link to form: https://success.eku.edu/register/evaluation_access_form

For more information or questions, please contact Meagan Murray