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How we use surveys: info for post-16 participants on Access, Outreach and Recruitment activities

This page explains how and why we collect survey responses from students taking part in Access, Outreach and Recruitment activities at the University of Bath.

Factsheet

Quick Summary

Topic Detail
Applies to All Widening Access, Outreach and Recruitment activities delivered for students who are over the age of 16 (post-16) run by University of Bath
What is the survey about? Understanding if our activities make a difference in supporting student groups accessing Higher Education
Will results be published? Yes – see full section below for more details
Do I have to complete the survey? No – it’s completely voluntary. You can choose whether to take part, and you can skip any questions you don’t want to answer. You can also choose to stop completing the survey at any point. Only submitted responses will be used.
Is this survey anonymous? Some are anonymous, some are not – your survey will tell you
Can you withdraw your data? Only if the survey collects identifiable details
Who to contact with questions email outreach@bath.ac.uk

Why am I being asked to complete a survey?

To fulfil our university regulator (Office for Students) requirements this survey aims to understand whether our activities effectively meet its intended outcomes. The feedback you provide helps us to review our provision, supporting more young people in accessing Higher Education.

What will the survey ask me?

Each programme survey will be slightly different, but we might ask:

  • What you knew before the programme
  • How your views or confidence have changed during the programme
  • What you plan to do next
  • Some information about you (like your year group, school, or background)

You may be asked to complete just one survey (e.g after the event) or a few over time (e.g before, during and after the programme). Each programme will tell you within the first survey you receive.

Will results be published?

Yes. The results of a programme evaluation will be published, with potential channels including:

  • On the University of Bath website as part of our transparency and reporting
  • In the Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL), a national sector database
  • In academic reports or peer-reviewed journals where appropriate

All published findings will be anonymised and where we ask for student demographic information all data will be aggregated to student group. No individual student will be named or identifiable in any public outputs.

The data you provide may be used in future research projects to compare to other student cohorts to understand the impact of our work.

Do I have to complete the survey?

No, completing the survey is completely voluntary.
You can choose whether to take part, and you can skip any questions you don’t want to answer.

  • You can stop completing the survey at any time, by closing the browser, not submitting, or not handing in a paper form (if using printed version)
  • Your decision will not affect your place on the programme, or any support offered to you

We will use and analyse only submitted survey responses within our evaluation work.

Is the survey anonymous?

We use two types of survey:

Anonymous surveys:

  • We don’t ask for your name or identifying details
  • You cannot be identified
  • You won’t be able to remove your data after submitting it

Identifiable surveys:

  • We may ask for your name, postcode or date of birth
  • We may provide you with an embedded survey ID and personalised survey link
  • This helps us to:
    • Match your responses (before, during, after the programme)
    • Link to a programme application form (if you applied to take part) to collect student characteristic details that you’ve already provided
  • All personally identifiable data will be removed ahead of analysis

Your survey will clearly say whether it is anonymous at the start.

Can I remove my answers after submitting the survey?

This is dependent on the type of survey you have completed.

  • If the survey is anonymous, we cannot identify your responses, so they cannot be removed.
  • If the survey was not anonymous, you can request to remove your survey responses by emailing email outreach@bath.ac.uk within 14 days of submitting your survey. After 14 days, all responses are anonymised and can’t be withdrawn.

How do you protect my information?

  • All data is stored securely by the University of Bath
  • All data is stored and used in accordance with the EU GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
  • Only authorised staff working within the Widening Access, Outreach and Recruitment team will have access
  • Your personal information will never be published

You can read our full privacy policy for more details.

Who can I contact if I have a question?

If you have any questions about how your data will be used, please email outreach@bath.ac.uk

By continuing with the survey, you acknowledge that:

  • you have read and understood the information provided and how your answers will be used
  • you understand that taking part is completely voluntary, and you can choose to not answer some or all questions
  • you agree to participate in the evaluation
  • you know who to contact if you have a question or would like to request withdrawal of your submitted responses (if survey is not anonymous)

Contact us

If you have any questions please get in touch

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