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Note: In consultation with campus UUP leadership, 91���� is going to pilot an opt-out model for course evaluations for Spring 2026, replacing the previous opt-in model.  This is based on faculty feedback and operational efficiencies and mirrors the intent of the system.

General Overview

What is CES?
The Course Evaluation and Survey (CES) is 91����’s new online platform for administering student course evaluations, powered by Watermark. Beginning in Fall 2025, CES has replaced the previous Student Opinion of Teaching (SOOT) process.

Why did we move from SOOTs to CES?
This transition follows recommendations from the Joint Task Force on the Student Evaluation of Teaching, with the goal of modernizing the evaluation process, improving ease of use, and enhancing consistency and data quality across the university.

Which Courses Are Evaluated in CES?

Course evaluations through CES are managed in alignment with school- or college-specific participation policies. The inclusion of courses follows the guidelines below:

• CCPA, Decker, Harpur, Pharmacy – Opt-Out Option
  For colleges or schools without mandatory participation requirements, Spring ’26 courses will be loaded into the CES but faculty may choose to opt out. This includes the College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA), Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
• Watson, SOM: Mandatory Participation
  Courses offered by faculty in colleges or schools with mandatory course evaluation policies—currently the School of Management (SOM) and the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science—are automatically included in CES each term. While minimum enrollment thresholds may vary by college or school, faculty in these units are not required to take any action to ensure their courses are evaluated.

Opt-Out Option

How do faculty opt out, and when??

Faculty who wish to exclude one or more courses from the CES for Spring 2026 may do so during the opt-out window, February 9 through April 14, 2026, by following the steps below:

1. Log in to .
2. Select the Brightspace tab from the navigation menu on the left.
3. Under Brightspace, click on Student Evaluation of Teaching.
4. Navigate to the Manage Course tab.
5. Click the View icon to see detailed course information.
6. Select the checkbox next to each course you wish to exclude from CES, then click Delete Selected Courses.

Important Notes:

The CES provides opportunity for multi-level student feedback. One part focuses on the course overall; the other part focuses on the instructor role. If you’re co-teaching a course, please read the following carefully to ensure that each instructor’s preferences are met.

• Co-taught courses:
  CES operates at the course level, not the individual instructor level. If you opt out of a team-taught course, the evaluation will be removed for all instructors associated with that course. Please coordinate with your co-instructor(s) before opting out at the course level; please see the next section on how to leave course-level feedback in place while removing your “instructor” section of the evaluation.
• Opting out as an individual co-instructor:
  If you are team-teaching a course and your co-instructor would like feedback but you prefer not to be receive student feedback individually, you may change your role in Brightspace from ���Բ��ٰ��ܳ��ٴǰ�” to “Instructor – No Course Evaluation.” This will exclude your role from CES while allowing the course evaluation to remain for other instructors. 
• Cross-listed courses:
  For cross-listed courses, Brightspace automatically consolidates individual course codes into a single combined course. Opting out of the combined course will remove all associated sections from CES.

How to Change Your Role to “Instructor – No Course Evaluation” in Brightspace

1. From the course navigation bar, click “Classlist.”
2. Check the box next to your name (listed with the role ���Բ��ٰ��ܳ��ٴǰ�”).
3. Click “Enrollment” at the top of the class listing.
4. In the New Role column, click the dropdown menu next to your name.
5. Select “Instructor – No Course Evaluation.”
6. Click “Save” to apply the change.

Once saved, the course will not be imported into the Course Evaluation and Survey (CES) system for that term.

Survey Open and Closing Dates

When do evaluations open and close for students?

• Fall and Spring semesters: Evaluations open two weeks before the course ends and close on the last day of the course.
• Summer and Winter semesters: Evaluations open seven days before the course ends and close on the final day of the course.

Students may complete their surveys at any point during these evaluation windows.

Student Notifications

How will students know to complete their evaluations?
Students will receive an email from Student Evaluation of Teaching (notifications@watermarkinsights.com) two weeks before their Fall and Spring courses end, and seven days before their Summer and Winter courses end, with reminder messages sent periodically until the survey closes.

Additionally, Brightspace will display a pop-up notification directing students to the evaluation link.

What if students miss the email?
Instructors are encouraged to remind their students in class or through Brightspace announcements to:

• Look for messages from notifications@watermarkinsights.com
• Check Brightspace for the CES link

Encouraging Student Participation

How can faculty encourage students to complete the evaluations?
Faculty play a critical role in promoting strong response rates. Effective strategies include:

• Announcing the evaluation period in class and emphasizing how student feedback supports teaching and learning improvements.
• Posting reminders in Brightspace with evaluation deadlines.
• Explaining to students how past feedback has informed course changes or enhancements.
• Urging students to complete the survey early and to watch for CES emails.
• Setting aside a few minutes in class for students to complete the evaluation on their devices.

Accessing Results

When can faculty see their evaluation results?
Faculty will have access to their individual CES reports three weeks after the survey closes.

Who can see aggregated or department-level reports?
This is still under discussion with faculty governance and union representatives, and more guidance will be provided in the coming months.

Using the CES Platform

How do I log into CES?
Faculty can conveniently access CES:

• Directly from their Brightspace course site, or

What if I have trouble accessing CES?
If you encounter technical issues, please contact set@binghamton.edu for assistance.

Future Development

Does CES use customized evaluation questions?
At present, CES uses the historical Student Opinion of Teaching (SOOT) questions. However, in the future:

• Each school or college will have the opportunity to develop its own evaluation instrument tailored to its unique teaching and learning context.
• A set of university-wide questions will also be created and implemented.