General Overview
What is CES?
The Course Evaluation and Survey (CES) is 黑料视频鈥檚 new online platform
for administering student course evaluations, powered by Watermark. Beginning in Fall 2025, CES will replace the previous Student Opinion of Teaching (SOOT) process.
Why are we moving 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 will be evaluated in CES?
- Courses taught by faculty in colleges or schools with a mandatory course evaluation requirement will be automatically included in CES each term (minimum enrollment requirements may vary by school/college).
- Faculty in colleges or schools without a mandatory course evaluation requirement will need to opt in each semester if they wish to participate in CES.
Opt-In Option
How do faculty opt in?
Faculty in non-mandatory course evaluation units can opt in through the by the specified deadline. Detailed instructions and the opt-in link will be emailed
to all eligible faculty in advance of each semester鈥檚 opt-in period.
Deadlines for opt-in requests will vary each semester. The specific deadline for each term will be provided in the opt-in email sent to faculty.
Because the opt-in process requires manual administrative setup, requests submitted after the deadline cannot be accommodated.
Survey Open and Closing Dates
When do evaluations open and close?
- 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 their 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
- Via this link:
What if I have trouble accessing CES?
If you encounter technical issues, please contact set@binghamton.edu for assistance.
Future Development
Will CES use customized evaluation questions?
At present, CES uses the existing 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.