Tis the season to be jolly. And for college professors, the season for course evaluations. Maybe you thought these were a meaningless formality. Actually, the massive importance of course evaluations these days may surprise you.

Student Input Should Matter

First off, let’s admit: Student input should matter. If your students don’t like you, it won’t matter how smart you are. You probably won’t be effective. That’s because people aren’t robots. We learn best from people we like. Our emotions interact with our brains. If we have a good connection with a teacher, we’re more likely to listen attentively, engage new ideas, retain key concepts, and find applications to what’s being presented. In short, we’re more likely to learn and grow. Great teachers capture the minds and the hearts of their students.

But if your students think you’re great, does that mean your teaching was great? Not necessarily. Maybe your jokes were great. Maybe you caved to a preference for low expectations. While student input matters, it shouldn’t be the only thing that matters.

Do Evals Really Matter? So Much?

Yes, professors at elite research universities have little to worry about what their students think of them. But such schools are in the minority. And yes, tenured faculty are safer, even when their students are disgruntled. But the percentage of faculty with tenure has been declining, as has the percentage of faculty that are even on a tenure track (able to earn tenure). For non-tenure track faculty, at the majority of colleges? Their ability to eat and put a roof over their heads is most dependent on one thing: student evaluations of their teaching. Ditto for tenure track faculty at teaching colleges. All told, student evaluations have become the most important metric for most college professors in America today.

How could students have so much power over their professors? I know correlation doesn’t prove causation, but the growing importance of course evaluations has dovetailed with a huge shift in the balance of power. Former college president Frank Brock put it this way: “Students used to worry about getting into college; today enrollment-driven colleges worry about getting students. Public universities receive state appropriations based on enrollment, and tuition is the largest source of revenue for virtually all of the private colleges.”

When fewer people attended college, there was less of a business orientation to the enterprise. Today, colleges are large enterprises with complicated budgets and an array of support services that students have come to expect. Like any good business, colleges need to be responsive to their customers. At least in part, faculty are evaluated to ensure that those paying the bills are inclined to keep paying them.

Student Evaluations and Perverse Incentives

It’s easy to see how this can be abused. It’s been reported in the academic press that students today spend on average less than 12 hours/week studying. Some 37% of students spend less than 5 hours/week preparing for their courses. Study times were once closer to 24 hours/week. While writing term papers in the Internet era is far more efficient, that can’t be the sole contributor. For example, more students today are working part-time jobs, and putting in more hours on those jobs, than in previous eras.

But what do we make of the fact that the average GPA has risen steadily since the early 1980s? Today the “A” is the most common grade assigned. Many have argued that the rising importance of student evaluations is a key driver in the lowering of academic standards. Some have likened this to a “nonaggression pact”: The faculty take it easy on the students, and the students reward the faculty with positive evaluations. The faculty get more time for their research and families. The students get more time to play or earn income. It’s a win-win. Besides, the students are more interested in the credential than the education.

The good news is that most students, at least in my experience, take a mature perspective. They don’t blame the professor for being rigorous — if his teaching is solid and it’s clear he’s working hard for them. Transparency about expectations is important, as is prompt grading and meaningful feedback.

Student maturity can also be cultivated. I find it helpful to occasionally explain the long-term benefits of academic rigor — for example, how it better prepares them for the future. High standards don’t represent an ego trip. They’re an expression of love. Because to love someone is to seek their lasting good. It’s not necessarily to give them what they want in the moment.

What Else Can Colleges Do?

Faculty peer reviews are another way to assess teaching. A colleague can spot things that students miss. In a healthy college, “iron sharpens iron” as colleagues push each other to greater levels of excellence. External reviews every few years are another good metric.

Student evaluations aren’t bad. They just need to be interpreted with perspective — and alongside other forms of assessment. Why the students like or dislike a professor matters. I hope my students like me because I work hard to give them a great education.

Dr. Alex Chediak (Ph.D., U.C. Berkeley) is a professor and the author of Thriving at College (Tyndale House, 2011), a roadmap for how students can best navigate the challenges of their college years. His latest book is Beating the College Debt Trap. Learn more about him at alexchediak.com or follow him on Twitter (@chediak).