When Freddy Vazquez sat in front of his computer to sign up for courses his sophomore year, he found a major flaw.
While he stumbled upon the aptly named Rate My Professors Web site, he realized not all UF professors for his major were listed.
As a result, he blindly built his schedule and headed into what turned out to be a miserable semester.
"I spoke to other classmates that ran into similar problems," he said.
Vazquez, a UF business and computer science junior, said after speaking to those classmates and brainstorming, he knew what needed to be done.
He began developing a site called Gator Ratings, a free professor rating service that caters specifically to UF students.
The site came to fruition this semester and has received 1,000 hits each week since its debut.
Like the popular rating site, ratings are determined by a collective effort of the Student Body, he said.
The site displays about 3,800 professors in 4,900 courses over the past three semesters and reflects UF's master schedule, he said.
The site aims to resolve problems with statistical bias by displaying the grade a student received next to his or her rating as well as an overall grade distribution chart, he said.
If a student obtains an A in the course, he or she is more likely to give the professor a better rating. If a student receives a low grade, he or she may list the professor under a lower rating.
Professors are rated by easiness, interest, knowledge, attitude and an overall opinion.
Gator Ratings also allows commenting on student posts and searches by course numbers, allowing students to compare teachers who offer the same course.
Vazquez hopes to receive more ratings toward the end of this semester.
He provides all of the funding and maintains the site himself, which relies on Facebook ads to try and harness ratings.
"It's definitely not a money-making venture," he said.
The site is an exercise in business for Vazquez, as he is able to apply skills he acquired in his two areas of study.
"I just want to provide a free service that specifically benefits UF students," he said.
