The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) has developed a Student Survey Policy that is designed to:

• Maximize the quality and utility of survey data;
• Reduce redundancy and help to prioritize surveys of Brown's students;
• Respect the time and effort of respondents; and
• Mitigate “survey fatigue,” which leads to disinterest and low response rates.

OIR is ready to advise regarding survey design, quality, timing, and administration, and can also provide relevant data that are already available. Anyone who is contemplating conducting a large-scale survey, whether it is covered by the policy or not, is encouraged to contact OIR to determine if data are already available. In addition, consulting our survey calendar will help you to avoid overlap with other surveys that will lead to lower response rates.
 

Background and Rationale

Brown's students are being surveyed with increasing frequency. While surveys are often a quick and easy way to collect information for a variety of planning and assessment purposes, they can also be intrusive and burdensome for respondents.

OIR regularly administers a number of surveys on behalf of the University that provide critical information for data-informed institutional decision-making and assessment. The University's core surveys capture the experiences of students, from before they enter Brown to their graduation. The core surveys are: Survey of New Students, First-Year Survey, Enrolled Student Survey, Senior Survey, Masters Education Survey, Doctoral Education Survey, and the Campus Climate Survey.

As the primary administrators of University-wide surveys, OIR is acutely aware of the time and effort that goes into them, from those developing the questions to those being asked to complete them. We are constantly weighing the value of surveys against the burden they place on individuals, primarily students, who are being asked with increasing frequency to provide data to the University.

All of the surveys at Brown are voluntary and we greatly appreciate the people who take time out of their busy lives to fill them out. We want to respect this generosity. We also want to minimize survey fatigue, which leads to declining response rates and representation, leaves data susceptible to bias, and limits the usefulness of the data.

Before administering a survey, please review the Student Survey Policy and related materials. Although your survey may not be covered by the policy, we ask that you refer to the survey calendar and plan accordingly. Multiple surveys in the field at the same time lead to low response rates for all. 

Examples of surveys/research that are not covered by the policy and do not require any communication with OIR include:

• Forms used to collect information for the maintenance of data systems on campus (Banner, Workday, etc.);
• Faculty research projects;
• Course evaluations;
• Student class projects or work related to student organizations;
• Polls intended to gather limited information;
• Feedback collected at point-of-service;
• Surveys sent by academic or administrative units, program leaders, or student group leaders to members within that academic or administrative unit, program, or student group for evaluation of that academic or administrative unit, program, or student group.

If you are uncertain if the policy applies to your project, contact Tracy Barnes, Director of Institutional Research.