DU plans teacher evaluation system from next academic year

Dhaka University (DU) plans to introduce a student-led teacher evaluation system from the 2026-27 academic year, four years after approving a policy to assess teachers’ teaching quality, professionalism and academic conduct.
The initiative, first taken in 2022, has remained unimplemented despite completing the necessary policy procedures. Meanwhile, an online evaluation platform launched by the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) was shut down following objections from the university administration.
The proposed system will allow students to assess teachers based on classroom performance, punctuality, course completion, teaching methods, academic conduct and overall effectiveness.
Students from different departments have long complained that some teachers fail to take a significant number of their scheduled classes. Some allegedly skip university classes to teach at private universities, while others fail to maintain adequate teaching standards or demonstrate sufficient research engagement. For instance, a teacher from the Department of Applied Mathematics allegedly took only 25 of 45 scheduled classes for course 409 of the eighth batch and 27 of 45 classes for course 307 of the seventh batch. The teacher received a rating of one on the evaluation website launched by DUCSU.
Students also allege that some teachers attend classes without adequate preparation and that political considerations in recruitment and promotion, alongside a lack of accountability, have affected educational standards.
How the evaluation system will work
The university formulated the policy in 2022 following a recommendation from the Academic Council. The Syndicate, its highest policy-making body, approved it on 30 October that year.
Under the policy, students will evaluate teachers through questions covering five indicators. After completing a course, students will be able to log in to their respective dashboards on the university website and submit assessments.
The evaluation will cover class attendance and punctuality, course completion, the quality and delivery of lectures, availability of course materials, examination and assignment arrangements, assessment standards and the overall learning environment. Students will provide feedback using a Likert scale and may also submit written comments and suggestions. Teachers will not have direct access to individual student feedback, but department chairmen, faculty deans and institute directors will be able to review the results and discuss the findings with the teachers concerned.
The Academic Council initially recommended the system at a meeting on 12 October 2022, chaired by then Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman. Although the administration initially planned to introduce it in June 2024 and later shifted the target to July, the nationwide Anti-Discrimination Student Movement disrupted the plan.
After 5 August 2024, former Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan announced plans to develop a roadmap for academic activities based on student feedback and formed a committee headed by then Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Prof Mamun Ahmed. However, the system remained unimplemented.
Administration assures implementation
DU Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam told Daily Sun that the administration was committed to introducing the system. “The Syndicate has already approved the matter. We will start implementing the system from the upcoming 2026-27 academic year,” he said.
Asked whether formal procedures or training sessions had begun, he said no such activities had started yet. “If everything goes according to plan, we will introduce the system from the 2026-27 academic year,” he added.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Prof Abdus Salam said all necessary procedures had been completed and the system would initially cover first-year students admitted in the 2026-27 academic session.
He said the policy had received final approval from the Academic Council and been incorporated into the university's regulations.
Asked whether the University Grants Commission (UGC) had issued any directives or expressed interest in the matter, Salam said the commission might have its own position, but DU had completed all the required institutional procedures.
He said the process had been completed at every level, including the Academic Council, Syndicate, Deans' Committee, relevant faculties and individual departments, and that the policy had been incorporated into the university's regulations.
“Now we only need to implement it. We will introduce the system from the first year of a particular academic session, and accordingly, the process will begin with students admitted this year,” he added.