• Section 1 - Purpose
• Background
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) To optimise university surveying to enable effective evaluation of the student experience whilst minimising survey demands on individual students.

Background

(2) Evaluation of the student experience is an expectation of the Australian Government and has been listed in the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021. Seeking feedback gives agency and voice to students and helps to inform staff at all levels in their decision-making.

(3) Surveys may be used to collect information about student expectations, needs and their experiences of educational and non-educational programs and services. Surveys such as questionnaires and focus groups, for example, are commonly used evaluation methods by governments and universities.

(4) A more streamlined and centralised life cycle approach to survey administration has been adopted by the University to manage the scheduling and timing of surveys, and to help maintain the highest levels of data integrity and reliability. In addition, it is intended to reduce the number of surveys of students by the University about the student experience, whilst not precluding surveys to address specific local needs (see the Student Experience Surveying Procedure).

Scope

(5) Enterprise surveys, such as those that secure feedback from students about their experience with learning, information provided, enrolment and admission, orientation and progression, facilities and infrastructure, general and support services, activities and events for the purpose of quality enhancement are within the scope of this Policy.

(6) Learner surveys that secure feedback from students regarding the content, delivery and teaching of programs of study, and their constituent units, are also within the scope of this Policy.

(7) For a list of University Enterprise and Learner survey activities, please refer to the Student Experience Surveying Schedule. The Student Experience Surveying Procedure details alternative survey, sampling and evaluative practices not in scope of this Policy.

(8) This Policy applies to all staff and students at all campuses and locations of the University.

Section 2 - Policy

(9) The evaluation of the student experience is important because it informs quality enhancement and strategic decision-making, aids institutional benchmarking, and provides agency to students. It can include measures to evaluate institutional, academic program, teaching, administration, amenity and support aspects of the student experience.

(10) Mandatory Australian Government student experience measures and those with National and / or International benchmarking capability will be prioritised over other measures.

(11) Student experience surveys will be, where possible, minimised to only those required to inform the experience at the various stages of the student life cycle (refer to the Student Experience Surveying Schedule).

(12) Student experience surveys will be, where possible, developed, conducted, evaluated and reported in accordance with best practice principles – refer to the Student Experience Surveying Procedure.

(13) Only surveys approved by the University nominee(s) as outlined by the Policy and listed in Student Experience Surveying Schedule may be administered. Authorisation for student experience surveys is by nominated member(s) of the University Executive Group – refer to the Student Experience Surveying Procedure.

Section 3 - Procedures

(14) Refer to the Student Experience Surveying Procedure.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(15) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(16) Commonly defined terms are located in the University Glossary. The following definitions apply for the purpose of this Policy:

1. Enterprise surveys means surveys that focus on mandated surveys such as those forming the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) under the Department of Education and Training, other externally benchmarked surveys, and internal University surveys specific to faculties, departments and offices for enhancing the quality of learning and teaching, employability and student experience.
2. Learner surveys means surveys that focus on curriculum or teaching, typically provided through the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) in the portfolio of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) [Teaching and Unit Evaluation].