Resources
Introduction
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness holds delegated authority to review, approve and coordinate institutional survey efforts at The College of St. Scholastica.
Definitions of Institutional Surveys
Institutional surveys include any broad sampling or census of a population at The College of St. Scholastica that involves direct request to the CSS community - applicants, students, staff, faculty, and alumni - for information. Institutional surveys may be addressed to any part of the CSS community and may address topics including academic, personnel, health, satisfaction, management and environmental issues. Institutional surveys may also include surveys managed by outside agencies addressed to campus groups. The category of institutional surveys, as referred to in this policy, does not include surveys that are of small-scale and focused intent such as – department or program surveys, surveys that are part of assigned work in a non-thesis course, focus groups, polls taken within a course, evaluations of an event by participants, classroom teaching projects, and teaching evaluations.
If you are unsure whether your survey falls under the scope of institutional surveys, please contact Institutional Effectiveness for clarification.
Purpose
The objectives of this policy is to:
- Promote good survey methodology and design
- Avoid collecting duplicate information
- Reduce possible survey fatigue by coordinating and limiting the number and timing of surveys administered to any one group
- Encourage the communication of survey results within the CSS community
Procedure
Any individual or group wishing to conduct a broad survey of the CSS community should consider whether it could be construed as an institutional survey (see survey definitions above). If yes, please complete the Survey Request Application.
Assessment Criteria
- Alignment with CSS’ strategic planning priorities
- Survey design including timing, scope, and mode of delivery
- The extent to which other surveys or datasets supply (or could supply) the required data
- The extent of survey burden on target groups within the CSS community
- Survey impact and any previous surveys of its kind
- Can the proposed survey be combined with other planned surveys?
- Does the survey provide information useful for planning or improving services?
- What actions are taken to ensure the confidentiality of responses?
Data Access
Authorization to administer an institutional survey establishes an obligation on the part of the researcher to use these data responsibly, including not distributing the data to others in or outside the college, unless the researcher is an authoritative source for an authorized distributor of data and the recipient is authorized to receive data. In addition, a person who receives an email or traditional mail addresses individuals and schools are officers will be responsible for information and must agree to adhere to The College of St. Scholastica’s policies for handling data. Review the Administrative Data Access Policy.
Anonymity and Confidentiality
Respondents must be notified if the data collected will not be anonymous. If the data are not anonymous, respondents must be alerted of confidentiality. If your survey collection will include academic information for St. Scholastica students, you may be subject to Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. Non-public student data can be used without the student's consent by college employees for "legitimate educational" purposes as long as the data are not reported in such a way that individual students can be identified. One of the following blanket statements must be included in every CSS survey.
- “Your responses to this survey will be Confidential: Identifying information such as name and/or email address will be collected. Your responses will be associated with your identity. All data will be kept secure and confidential.
Or
- Your responses to this survey will be Anonymous: identifying information such as name or email address will NOT be collected. Your responses will never be associated with your identity.”
Voluntary Participation
Participation in CSS surveys is always voluntary and participants should always be free to opt-out of any survey without penalty. Respondents are free to discontinue their participation at any time, for any reason, even after they have provided consent. The following blanket statements must be included in every CSS survey.
"Your participation in this survey is voluntary. You may choose not to take part in this survey, or if you decide to take part, you can change your mind and withdraw at any time. You are free to leave any questions blank. Your decision will not change any present or future relationships with the College of St. Scholastica."
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness may recommend you submit your project to the IRB. For example, if the survey will collect sensitive information (e.g., mental or psychological problems of the student or the student’s family; sexual behavior or attitudes; illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior) and/or target vulnerable groups (e.g., the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations lists “children, prisoners, pregnant women, mentally disabled persons, and economically or educationally disadvantaged persons” as vulnerable groups) it will need to go through the IRB process.
Sanctions for policy violations
Violation of College policies and procedures may result in disciplinary consequences up to and including termination. If the project requires IRB approval, and IRB approval was not obtained, this has implications for the annual non-compliance report to the HHS OHRP.