In fall 2008, University Council and the Board of Governors approved A Framework for Assessment: Beyond
Systematic Program Review . This document outlined a number of priority areas for assessment at the University of
Saskatchewan. It also identified several roles for the office of Institutional Planning and Assessment (IPA) including coordination of surveys, dissemination of findings to the general university community, collaboration with colleges and units to develop a survey policy, and maintenance of an inventory of surveys.
This document outlines the guidelines that the IPA has developed to support implementation of the Framework .
For further information about these guidelines, please contact ipa_assessment@usask.ca
.
Surveys are a useful tool for collecting information which are ultimately used to inform planning. At the University of Saskatchewan, we use surveys to assess quality, plan for program/service enhancements, and determine the needs of our community and the best way to meet those needs among other reasons. Given the increased emphasis on planning, accreditation and accountability in recent years, there has been substantial growth in the number of surveys conducted on campus. While the practice of hearing from our community and making informed decisions is welcomed, the lack of coordination raises concerns about the overall effectiveness of surveys. Several inconsistencies can be noted including:

Duplication of effort – multiple surveys asking similar questions;
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Poorly designed surveys – difficult to understand questions, surveys that are too lengthy and/or results that are not useful;
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Inappropriate use of surveys – surveys being used when other less costly and more effective methodologies could be used;
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Improper data collection practices – including such things as the inappropriate timing of surveys and the number and timing of reminders; incentives that do not match the populations being surveyed;
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Inadequate sharing of results – resulting in duplication of effort and resources and non-communication with participant groups;
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Over-sampling of specific populations – certain members of the university can and have been the recipients of multiple surveys over a short time span. This may lead to survey fatigue resulting in unanswered/incomplete surveys and low response rates.
All of the above have a significant impact on the quality and effectiveness of university survey data.
Coordination of surveys is necessary to prevent redundancy and participant fatigue, to maximize response rates, and to achieve representative samples.
INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT ▪ www.usask.ca/ipa

The IPA has been assigned responsibility for coordinating all university-level surveys. In doing so, the IPA will take on a dual role: to coordinate surveys and to be a key resource for data sharing and exemplary practices in this area 1 . Specifically, the IPA is committed to:
1.
Developing and publicizing a yearly schedule of major surveys to be conducted at the University of
Saskatchewan. This will ensure that: a.
Timing of surveys is coordinated to avoid multiple surveys targeting the same population in the field at once b.
Survey requests and participant fatigue are minimized by limiting the number of surveys and sample size for any one specific group c.
Collection of duplicate information is minimized d.
Resources are maximized by taking advantage of opportunities for joint surveys (piggybacking) e.
Survey results are communicated within the university community and beyond as appropriate
The IPA has developed a form to further support its coordination efforts. If you are planning to conduct a survey project in the upcoming academic year, please fill out the Survey Project Coordination Form and send it to the IPA at ipa_assessment@usask.ca
.
To help the University of Saskatchewan make the most of the survey information it collects, we need your help. If your college or administrative unit is planning to conduct a survey or you would like assistance with your survey project, please complete the form as described above and submit it to ipa_assessment@usask.ca
. This will ensure that exemplary practices are met and assist in maximizing response rates and improving the overall quality and effectiveness of surveys conducted at the University of Saskatchewan.
These guidelines are intended for university-level surveys and do not include polls taken in a class, class assignments involving surveys, evaluations by participants of an event, evaluation of a service by a client at a point of service, or a faculty or student research project.
Please contact us with any questions you may have regarding survey projects at ipa_assessment@usask.ca
.
1
The IPA acknowledges that there are a number of other assessment methodologies which are also increasingly being used and which may also require coordination. These include: questionnaires, focus groups, structured interviews, informal interviews and guided group discussions particularly when they cross major populations of students/faculty/alumni or colleges/units. The IPA is committed to working with the colleges/units to determine the appropriate methodology for the project and it has expertise in other methodologies which can be accessed to assist the University of Saskatchewan community in designing the appropriate study.
INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT ▪ www.usask.ca/ipa