• Section 1 - Preamble
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Section 5 - Procedure
• Approval of non-core surveys
• Ethics Committee approval
• Scheduling
• Analysis and reporting
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) This Procedure is effective from 11 September 2018.

Section 2 - Purpose

(2) To outline the processes involved in:

1. the conduct of core University surveys
2. the approval and conduct of non-core University surveys
3. the maintenance of the University's Survey Evaluation Framework.

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.

Section 4 - Policy

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

Section 5 - Procedure

(5) The Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will maintain a Survey Evaluation Framework, which will be published on the Conducting Surveys at Deakin website and will contain information including:

1. a calendar of core surveys
2. a calendar of approved key surveys
3. details about core University surveys and survey reports
4. the Deakin Survey Approval Process and Survey Approval Form.

Approval of non-core surveys

(6) The conduct of non-core surveys requires the approval of the Director, Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit. To seek approval a survey sponsor (normally a member of the Executive) must submit an application through the Deakin Survey Approval Process.

(7) The Director, Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit 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, as outlined on the Conducting Surveys at Deakin website
3. the proposed survey complies with privacy and other relevant legislation, and includes a statement on privacy and participant confidentiality.

(8) After considering the matters set out at clause 7 and consulting with the Dean of Students in regard to proposed non-core student surveys, the Director, Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will advise the survey sponsor whether the survey may proceed.

(9) The survey sponsor may seek further assessment by the Vice-Chancellor or nominee. The decision of the Vice-Chancellor or nominee is final.

(10) Key approved surveys will be added to the University’s calendar of surveys published on the Conducting Surveys at Deakin website.

(11) Approved non-core surveys will be conducted for the period for which they have approval.

Ethics Committee approval

(12) Staff of the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will liaise with the Human Research Ethics Committee where appropriate to determine whether Human Research Ethics Committee approval is required to conduct a particular survey. 

Scheduling

(13) The Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will schedule and prioritise all surveys to ensure that core University 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

(14) The Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will produce reports on the major externally coordinated annual surveys of student outcomes, including relevant Quality Indicators of Learning and Teaching surveys, as well as on surveys conducted to support the University's strategic and operational planning or quality assurance.

(15) The Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will provide data analysis and reports on core surveys within four weeks of receiving the final data and/or data files.

(16) Summary results of surveys will be published on the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit's Surveys website. Access to results may be provided to survey participants by other means subject to privacy and confidentiality requirements associated with the data.

(17) No survey data from surveys conducted by the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will be released to parties outside the University without the approval in writing of the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic.

(18) The Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will retain all survey raw data for a minimum period of five (5) years.

Section 6 - Definitions

(19) For the purposes of this Procedure:

1. core surveys are:
   1. eVALUate survey of students’ satisfaction with teaching and learning in units
   2. 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)
   3. Deakin Higher Degree Research Survey
   4. Getting Started at Deakin Survey
   5. Deakin Staff Survey (isay)
2. non-core surveys are all surveys not defined as core surveys.