Academic Program Review (APR) survey

The Academic Program Review (APR) survey is administered by the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (SCSRU), in collaboration with the University of Waterloo’s Institutional Analysis and Planning (IAP), and the Academic Quality Enhancement (AQuE) office. Data from the survey informs program review self-studies.

Implementation

The survey is sent to all alumni from the programs under review who have graduated in the past seven years to understand their perceptions of their academic and learning experience at Waterloo. The first survey will be piloted in Winter 2025. The APR survey will be conducted every Fall on an annual basis.

Topics covered in the APR survey may include (but are not limited) to:

  • alumni perceptions of various learning experiences and supports;
  • alumni perceptions of how well their academic program prepared them for employment; and
  • alumni perceptions of the program’s strengths and areas for improvement.

Eligibility and Participation

Survey links are generated for all alumni. Only those who were included in the original invitation list and who received a Program Reviews Survey invitation can participate in the survey. Students interested in sharing their experience can send their feedback to iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca.

Results

Results from the APR survey will be used to inform internal program-related planning, program review self-studies, and strategic decision-making. For more information about programs under review or general inquiries about the APR survey, please email iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca.

To request results from current campus-wide surveys such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), please submit a JIRA survey data request form to Institutional Analysis & Planning (IAP).

About the APR survey

The Fall Academic Program Review (APR) survey is administered by the University of Waterloo Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (SCSRU) in collaboration with Institutional Analysis and Planning (IAP), and the Academic Quality Enhancement (AQuE) office. Data from the survey informs programs’ self-study portion of program reviews. The purpose of the APR survey is to understand alumni’s perceptions of their academic and non-academic learning environment and experience in their UWaterloo program that is currently under review.

Topics covered in the APR survey may include but are not limited to alumni perceptions of:

  • various learning experiences and supports
  • professional development opportunities
  • program instructors and academic supports

Survey details

What: Participate in the Academic Program Review (APR) survey.

Who: Alumni from selected programs under review who graduated within the last seven (7) years.

When: February 3 – 21, 2025.

Why: Your feedback will help the university understand alumni’s learning experiences, challenges, and successes. Your input guides our ongoing work to improve programs.

Here's how to share your feedback:

Hand clicking on email
  • Step 1: Check the e-mail address you provided to the University of Waterloo’s Alumni Relations unit for an invitation which will be sent starting February 3 from the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (iapscsru@qualtrics-research.com).
  • Step 2: Click the survey link in the email. It only takes ~ 10 minutes to take the survey. If you wish to complete a PDF version of the survey instead, please email iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca. 

Academic Program Reviews (APR) survey FAQ

Who can participate in the survey?

University of Waterloo alumni who graduated from the programs under review within the last seven (7) years (degree conferred 2018 – 2024) will be invited to participate in the survey. Invited alumni have a valid email address on file with the Alumni Relations unit and have implicitly or explicitly consented to be contacted by the University.

When does the survey take place?

The survey is available from February 3 – 21, 2025.

How can you participate?

Invitations and reminders containing a unique survey link are emailed to alumni’s email addresses on file with the Alumni Relations unit. Your participation is voluntary and confidential. If you wish to participate via an alternate format, such as PDF or paper copy, please send an email to iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca.

How long does the survey take?

Approximately 10 minutes to complete in one sitting.

I would like to participate but I didn't receive an invitation or survey link.

Survey links were generated for a sample of eligible alumni as described in the "Who can participate in the survey?" section above. Only those who were included in the original invitation list and who received an email invitation can participate in the survey. Students interested in sharing their experience can send their feedback to iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca.

How are the results used?

Survey results will be used to evaluate and improve academic program design, supports, and experiences. Results may also be used to inform strategic decisions about academic programs and how to continually make improvement to the academic experiences of current and future students.

Where and how will the results be displayed?

Summarized program-specific results will be prepared only for the programs and the Academic Quality Enhancement office. If you have any questions about the results of the survey, please send an email to iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca.

Is this survey voluntary?

Participation is voluntary. Participants can decline to respond to any question by leaving it blank or decline to participate by selecting the "do not consent" option at the start of the survey. You may withdraw partial or submitted survey responses by sending an email to iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca.

Will my responses be kept confidential?

The survey is being administered and analyzed by the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (SCSRU).

This survey is confidential. The survey does not ask for any personally identifying information, nor does the survey use internet protocol (IP) addresses or other information which could link your participation to your computer or electronic device.

Only authorized staff at the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (SCSRU) and Institutional Analysis and Planning (IAP) tasked with analyzing and interpreting the results, and who have signed a data sharing and confidentiality agreement meant to ensure secure and appropriate handling of data, will have access to the raw survey data.

This survey may also include program-specific questions. Different groups within the University of Waterloo may have specific questions for you about different aspects of your experience during your time at the university, such as your program requirements, learning and professional development opportunities, or various academic support units. If this is the case, de-identified summaries for these program-specific questions will be provided to various programs for evaluation and/or research purposes to help improve university programs and services. Only authorized staff within the University will have access to the de-identified data.

Contact information will be stored separately from survey responses. Your de-identified survey responses may be linked to demographic data (such as your year of study, citizenship, and status in Canada), academic plan information (such as your program and faculty), and academic record (cumulative average), and will be used for evaluation, and/or research purposes only to help improve our programs and services. Results will be reported in aggregate only, ensuring that no individual student can be identified.

This online survey is operated by Qualtrics. Qualtrics has implemented technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect the information provided via the Services from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no Internet transmission is ever fully secure or error free. See Waterloo’s guidelines on secure data transmission for more information.

Respondents may provide their name and email for follow-up via iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca. Once you click on the email link, you will be redirected to a separate email form, and your information will not be linked to survey responses.

PRIVACY POLICY

University of Waterloo Information, Privacy and Record Retention

The University of Waterloo is committed to respecting the privacy of respondents to this survey.  All personal information is collected under the authority of the University of Waterloo Act (1972) and will be processed in compliance with Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, as well as the University of Waterloo’s Information and Privacy policies.

Questions about the collection, use, and disclosure of information associated with this survey should be directed to iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca. Questions about the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by the university, should be directed to the Privacy Officer at fippa@uwaterloo.ca.

The collected data and reports will be managed according to the University records classification scheme, WatClass, and will be securely destroyed when no longer needed by the University.

Use of Personal Information

The University has provided names, e-mail addresses, ID, and program information to the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (SCSRU) for the purpose of conducting the survey and administering the incentives. Contact information used to administer the incentives will be stored separately from survey responses. Your de-identified survey responses may be linked to demographics metrics (such as your year of study, citizenship, and status in Canada), academic plan information (such as your program and faculty), and academic record (cumulative average), and will be used for evaluation, and/or research purposes only to help improve our programs and services. Results will be reported in aggregate only, ensuring that no individual student can be identified.

Please note that only authorized staff at the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (SCSRU) tasked with analyzing and interpreting the results, and who have signed a data sharing and confidentiality agreement meant to ensure secure and appropriate handling of data, will have access to the survey data. All data collected will be de-identified and will only be reported in aggregate. Results will be stored for a period of 10 years or until superseded or obsolete, in a secure, encrypted, password or key protected location.

Contact us

If you have difficulty accessing the survey, wish to no longer receive messages related to this survey, wish to withdraw your submitted survey responses or for general inquiries, please email iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca.