Why do Russian Universities Need Student Evaluation of Teaching?

Article analyzes the use of student evaluation of teaching (SET) in Russian universities – one of the key feedback tools in higher education. The authors examined documents from 694 universities to identify the presence of SET, its goals, and implementation features. The results show that only 13% of universities conduct SET targeting specific instructors. In most cases, SET serves summative purposes – supporting personnel decisions (36 universities), while formative use – for professional development – is found in just 16 universities. In 35 cases, the goals of SET could not be identified. The study also classifies SET questionnaires and explores the relationship between their structure and stated objectives. The authors conclude that in Russia, SET is often formal and rarely functions as an effective quality assurance mechanism. Possible reasons include institutional isomorphism, emphasis on external control, and insufficient attention to student feedback as a development resource. The paper raises the issue of rethinking the role of SET in Russian university governance.