Question

Why do universities ask students to complete evaluations of professor performance at the end of classes? Select the most suitable explanation based on the following options:

a) Adverse selection: The university aims to filter out students who may have had negative experiences with the professor, ensuring a more accurate representation of overall teaching quality.

b) Moral hazard: By providing students with the opportunity to evaluate their professors, universities encourage professors to uphold high standards of teaching and maintain accountability for their performance.

Answer 1

Universities ask students for evaluations to promote high standards of teaching and ensure professor accountability, not to filter out students with negative experiences.

Step-by-step explanation:

Universities ask students to complete evaluations of professor performance at the end of classes primarily for the purpose of moral hazard. By doing so, universities encourage professors to uphold high standards of teaching and maintain accountability for their performance. This feedback mechanism reduces asymmetric information between university administrations and students by providing insights into the quality of instruction and appropriate high educational standards.

Through the evaluations, students are able to communicate their experiences and the effectiveness of the professors, functioning as a type of 'peer review' from the consumer (student) perspective. These evaluations do not serve to filter out students with negative experiences, as suggested in the concept of adverse selection.