Recent research questions the validity of student evaluation of teaching (SET) data to measure teaching and learning. Yet, there is extensive use of this instrument around the world, which arguably contributes to a decline in the rigor of college classes. This performance measurement has lead to both unethical grade inflation and coursework deflation as faculty try to entertain students rather than educating them. These unethical teaching techniques used by many faculties are on the same plane as the unethical practices of executives "cooking their books." Ethical and unethical SET management techniques of professors are discussed herein, along with incentive and structural pander pollution of administrators and universities.Keywords Student evaluation of teachers . Pander pollution . Grade inflation . Dysfunctional behavior . Impression management . Earnings management As more and more research questions the validity of summative student evaluation of teaching (SET), higher education is experiencing the simultaneous widespread use of this control device (Flinn ). A persuasive argument can be made that this increased use of SETs for administrative control has caused grade inflation, coursework deflation, and a reduction in student learning as a result of unethical behavior of professors and administrators.
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