MINNEAPOLIS — Evaluations of professors by students at the University of Minnesota could be made public for the first time.

A proposal before the Faculty Senate would allow students to look up any course on a university website and see what those who have taken the class have to say about it. Until now, the student evaluations have been read only by faculty.

Freshman Nicholas Ohren, of Eau Claire, Wis., is among students who have pressured the university to make the ratings public. Ohren said there’s a huge demand by students to have more information.

He says when he was picking courses for his first semester he had little information to go on, besides his adviser’s recommendation.

University officials say the teacher evaluations are private information because they play a role in tenure and promotion decisions.