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Surveys Procedure

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Section 1 - Preamble

(1) This Procedure is effective from 17 December 2024.

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Section 2 - Purpose

(2)  This procedure outlines processes involved in:

  1. the conduct of University-wide surveys
  2. the approval and conduct of other University surveys.
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Section 3 - Scope 

(3) This Procedure applies to surveys undertaken or coordinated by staff members for University purposes. It does not apply to surveys that form part of a research project by a student or an Academic staff member. For surveys that are part of research projects refer to the Research Conduct Policy and Human Research Ethics Procedure.

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Section 4 - Policy

(4) This Procedure is pursuant to the Quality Management Policy.

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Section 5 - Procedure

(5) The Manager Institutional Research and Surveys maintains and publishes guidance on surveys on the intranet, which will include but not limited to:

  1. the Survey Calendar
  2. survey reports and analysis approval processes for  other University surveys via a Survey Approval Form.

University-wide surveys

(6) The University undertakes University-wide surveys as defined by this procedure to fulfill requirements that include:

  1. Regulatory obligations necessitating the university-wide survey students and/or staff
  2. University quality assurance requirements consistent with relevant policies that include but are not limited to the Evaluation of Teaching and Units Procedure
  3. Performance indicators specified in the Strategic Plan and Enabling Plan/s

(7) University-wide surveys as defined by this procedure take precedent over all other University surveys, including research surveys of University students and/or staff undertaken in accordance with the Research Conduct Policy.

(8) University-wide Surveys will have a clearly defined Survey Owner who has responsibility for oversight and administration of the survey.

(9) The Manager Institutional Research and Surveys will approve the publication of the Survey Calendar.

Approval of other University surveys

(10) The University undertakes other University surveys to fulfill requirements that include:

  1. Course-specific accreditation requirements necessitating the survey of students and/or staff
  2. Evaluation of teaching and learning related activities restricted to specific cohorts of students
  3. Evaluation of specific University initiatives and/or services.

(11) The conduct of other University surveys requires the approval of the Manager Institutional Research and Surveys. To seek approval a survey administrator  must complete the Survey Approval Form.

(12) The Manager, Institutional Research and Surveys will consider whether:

  1. the information being sought already exists, a separate survey is required, or the information can be obtained by adding content to an existing or proposed survey
  2. the proposed survey adheres to established principles of survey design
  3. the survey instrument content, format and mode of delivery are appropriate to stated aims and expected outcomes
  4. the timing, mode of delivery and target population for the application of the survey are appropriate
  5. the proposed survey complies with privacy and other relevant legislation, and includes a statement on privacy and participant confidentiality
  6. other surveys will be unduly impacted, with specific reference to potential conflicts with key dates in the Survey Calendar and requirements of clause 19.

(13) Other University student surveys will, in consultation with the Dean of Students, be reviewed in accordance with clause 12, and the Manager, Institutional Research and Surveys will advise the survey sponsor whether the survey may proceed.

(14) Other University staff surveys will, be reviewed in in accordance with clause 12, and the Manager, Institutional Research and Surveys will advise the survey administrator whether the survey may proceed.

(15) Approved other University surveys may be added to the Survey Calendar.

(16) Approved other University surveys may be conducted only for the period for which they have approval.

(17) Responsibility for administration of other University surveys rests with the survey sponsor.

Human Research Ethics Committee approval

(18) Surveys of students and/or staff conducted for research purposes may only proceed if approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee.

Scheduling

(19) The Manager, Institutional Research and Surveys  will schedule and prioritise all surveys to ensure that University-wide surveys are given priority in scheduling, and, where possible will ensure that:

  1. separate surveys targeting the same population group are not scheduled at the same time
  2. the number of times a student or staff member is surveyed is minimised by distributing surveys to a random sample of participants rather than to the entire population.

Analysis and reporting

(20) The Survey Owner is responsible for coordinating the preparation of reports on University-wide surveys.

(21) Results of University-wide surveys as listed in this procedure will be published in the intranet site. Access to results may be provided to survey participants by other means subject to privacy and confidentiality requirements associated with the data.

(22) No survey data from University-wide surveys will be released to parties outside the University without the approval in writing of the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic for student surveys, or Chief of Staff for staff surveys.

(23) The University will retain all survey raw data for a minimum period of five (5) years and in accordance with the Information and Records Management Policy.

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Section 6 - Definitions

(24) For the purposes of this Procedure:

  1. University-wide surveys are:
    University-wide Survey Survey Owner/s
    eVALUate survey of students’ satisfaction with teaching and learning in units
    Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic
    Dean of Students
    Manager, Institutional Research and Surveys
     
    Quality Indicators in Learning and Teaching (QILT) including the Student Experience Survey (SES), Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS), Graduate Outcomes Survey Longitudinal (GOS-L), and Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS)
    		 Manager, Institutional Research and Surveys
    Deakin Higher Degree Research Survey
    Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation
    Manager, Institutional Research and Surveys
    Getting Started at Deakin Survey
    Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic
     
    Manager, Institutional Research and Surveys
     
    Deakin Staff Survey (Pulse) Chief People and Culture Officer
    Employee Experience Survey (Commission for Gender Equality) Executive Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  2. other University surveys are all approved surveys not defined as University-wide surveys.
  3. research surveys are all surveys undertaken for research purposes governed by the Research Conduct Policy.
  4. survey/s are a method of collecting information where a sample of subjects drawn from a population is studied to make generalisations about the population, and do not include interviews nor focus groups.
  5. survey owner is the person who has responsibility for oversight and administration of the survey. This may include delegating responsibility to staff within their responsibilities, or securing the support of with staff from across the University to ensure survey administration, scheduling, analysis and reporting is conducted in accordance with this procedure.