From Decentralized to Unified: How Boston University Built a Centralized Evaluation System with Explorance Blue

About Boston University

Boston University (BU) is a major private research institution in Boston, Massachusetts, serving over 37,000 students and employing approximately 11,000 faculty and staff. As a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and a designated R1 university, BU has long prioritized innovation in teaching and learning. It operates across 17 schools and colleges, plus a distinct faculty of computing and data science spread across three urban campuses, including a medical and a school of education site.

Decentralized Processes, Disconnected Outcomes

Prior to 2023, Boston University’s (BU) course evaluation process was highly decentralized. “Pretty much all of them did their own thing,” explained Kevin Wiles, Platform Administrator, referring to the university’s 17 academic units. Each school had autonomy over its evaluations which resulted in inconsistent data and institutional oversight.

Some units didn’t consistently use evaluations, while others weighed them heavily in promotion and tenure decisions. The absence of common policies also led to privacy concerns, especially in small classes where instructors could easily identify student responses. Meanwhile, students lacked awareness of the purpose and impact of evaluations: “A lot of students don’t know that evaluations can be used to enhance the classroom experience or the teacher’s teaching style.” said Kevin.

On top of these cultural and structural issues, BU faced major technical transitions. The institution was migrating to a new student information system (SIS), CampusSolutions, and upgrading its LMS to Blackboard Ultra. “We had to integrate with our old SIS knowing that a few months later we’re going to do another integration again with our new SIS,” Kevin noted. Leadership changes, a multi-year trial with a previous vendor, and the COVID-19 pandemic all further delayed meaningful reform.

The Solution: Laying the Foundation for A Unified Evaluation System with Explorance Blue

In 2023, Boston University launched an implementation of Explorance Blue as the foundation for a centralized course evaluation system across its main campus. Blue became the core platform for streamlining evaluation workflows and integrating key institutional systems.

Its flexibility enabled BU to introduce new university-wide evaluation policies, including standardized question sets and clear access rules governing who could view evaluation data and when. As Kevin Wiles explained, “We started implementing response thresholds... before, instructors could see the reports no matter what.”

Through seamless integration with BU’s student information system, Blue supported automation of previously manual processes, including the scheduling of evaluations based on course start and end dates. Evaluation timelines were also aligned with course duration: “If it’s a standard course, we give two weeks. One-day courses get three days.” The platform also enabled a highly configurable reporting structure, allowing customized access for faculty, chairs, and deans, providing the right data to the right people.

The Outcome: From Disconnected Data to Coordinated Action

For the first time, Boston University was able to assess teaching effectiveness across the entire institution. “We were able to look at BU holistically,” said Kevin Wiles, noting the shift from isolated, school-specific evaluations to a unified view of teaching effectiveness across all colleges. This centralized approach allowed the university to identify patterns, compare departments, and align insights with broader academic goals

Blue’s consistent and structured reporting also made it easier to address issues as they emerged. “As feedback was coming in, we were able to triage things... switch things up,” Kevin explained.

Data became actionable across faculty, department chairs, and deans accessing customized reports tailored to their roles. Dynamic reporting replaced manual distribution, streamlining processes and reducing administrative workload.

Despite the complexity and some resistance to change, the transition proved successful. “We are never going to gain a 100% consensus that pleases everybody,” Kevin acknowledged, “but we do know that the benefits do outweigh the negatives. In the end, it is beneficial for everybody as a whole.”