The Many Harms of SETs in Higher Education

Author(s)Cecilea Mun
JournalSymposion
Thematic Cluster/Special IssueDiversity in Philosophy
AbstractIn this paper, I call attention to the problem of continuing to rely on SETs for hiring, reappointment, promotion, and award decisions in higher education, including the problem of continuing to permit the use of SETs despite the clear and explicit acknowledgement of their shortcomings. I argue that to do so manifests a failure to acknowledge the weight of the actual and potential harms of SETs. I then provide an outline of such harms in order to clearly convey not only the weight but also the extent of such harms, especially on marginalized job candidates and non-privileged students. I also report the results of a recent survey I conducted in order to document any actual or possible harms that were committed against professional educators by the use of SETs in hiring, reappointment, or promotion decisions. I conclude by arguing that, given all of the foregoing, the use of SETs should be abolished for hiring, reappointment, promotion, and award decisions in higher education.
KeywordsSET, Student Evaluations, Systemic Biases, Women, Minority, Marginalization
Date Published 2020
Volume72
Issue2
Pages285-314
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.5840/SYMPOSION20207219
URLhttps://www.pdcnet.org/symposion/content/symposion_2020_0007_0002_0285_0314
Google Scholar Linkhttps://scholar.google.ca/scholar?cluster=1503888178693403903&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5
Open Access?Yes

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