Protocol for the Surveying of Students
The following protocol for the surveying of students was agreed by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) in October 2009 and covers surveys which meet two conditions:
- The survey size is >250 i.e. number of students asked for information
- The student sample is taken from more than one Department or School.
Context
1.1 An increasing number of Survey of Students views are taking place on the campus. Some of these are initiated by external bodies, for example, the National Student Survey which takes place annually, and which is directed at final year undergraduate students. Others are surveys by outside bodies which the University has sanctioned or requested, for example, the Postgraduate Research / Taught Experience Surveys. Our third category is the University sanctioned internal survey, for example, the previous Student Experience Survey or its replacement, the Programme Level Evaluation Surveys. Finally we have internal surveys done by various departments of the University about which there is no ‘official’ knowledge.
1.2 It is a good thing that we are collecting knowledge about our student body. By doing this we should be in a better position to understand their needs and the quality of our interactions. We almost certainly know more about our students than ever before.
Statement of the Problem
2.1 We have evidence from the students of ‘survey fatigue’ and in some cases response rates are falling.
2.2 Some surveys have a poor design e.g. poorly worded questions, and are unlikely to produce good quality information.
2.3 Large numbers of surveys produce results which are invisible to anybody except the initiators of the survey.
2.4 It is not always clear that a survey is the best method of capturing student opinion
2.5 The evidence of feedback to the students about what was found, and more importantly, what actions will follow, is very patchy.
Some Solutions
3.1 Our view is that survey fatigue has reached the point where the University must exert some control over surveys of students, and, most particularly, their timing. Our proposals will only apply to surveys of students and only to surveys of a certain size, which are directed to students across the University. There is no intention, therefore, that the activities of academic departments surveying their own students will be covered by this protocol.
Protocol
4.1 This protocol covers surveys of students which meet two conditions:
- The survey size is >250 i.e. number of students asked for information
- The student sample is taken from more than one Department or School.
4.2 Where the above two conditions are met, the following protocol applies:
- The survey must have permission from the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office. That office will have a duty to schedule the survey at the appropriate time. That office will also check that appropriate ethical protocols have been observed, for example about confidentiality.
- Permission will also depend on the surveyor having a clear plan for feedback of the results to the student community.
- At least one of the people involved in creating the survey must have had recent training or experience in survey and questionnaire design. Staff Development will run training programmes to allow departments to fulfil this condition.
- The results of the survey must be deposited in the University survey archive held by the Library: https://wiki.bath.ac.uk/display/UniSurvLTS/Surveys+of+students
Requests for permission to run surveys of the students should be emailed to:
Mr Shaun McGall, Learning and Teaching Development Officer, LTEO s.a.mcgall@bath.ac.uk