Who can participate in the survey?
- A sample of University of Waterloo undergraduate students (registered in the fall 2024 term) will be invited to participate in the survey. Students must be registered in courses or be on a work term in the fall 2024 term. The selection process is randomized and selects 10,000 students to invite out of all eligible students. If you do not receive an invitation this term, you may receive an invitation for future iterations of the SES.
- All eligible graduate (non-visiting/exchange) students will be invited to the fall 2024 SES. To be eligible, students must be registered in the fall 2024 term (as of Oct 11, 2024) and have an active @uwaterloo.ca email. Students enrolled in the International/Ontario visiting Graduate Student Programs (IVGS/OVGS) are not eligible to participate in the SES.
When does the survey take place?
The survey is available from October 21 - November 8, 2024.
How can students participate?
You can participate via two pathways:
- Log into LEARN and look for the survey link in the “Participate in the F24 Student survey and receive $5” notice.
- Invitations and reminders containing a unique survey link are emailed to student @uwaterloo email addresses.
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.
What do I get for participating?
All students who submit their survey responses (press the "Submit" button at the end of the survey) will receive $5 added to WatCard. See incentive rules for more information.
I would like to participate but I didn't receive an invitation or survey link?
Survey links were generated for a random sample of undergraduate students and all eligible graduate students 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 a SES invitation can participate in the survey. Students interested in sharing their experience can send their feedback to analysis@uwaterloo.ca or submit their feedback through the anonymous Student Experience Feedback form.
I've completed the survey. When do I get my $5?
$5 is added to the student WatCard within four weeks of survey submission.
When will the results be available?
Early spring 2025.
How are the results used?
Survey results will be used to evaluate and improve student learning approaches, supports and experiences.
Where and how will the results be displayed?
Selected summary results will be published on the main Student Experience Survey IAP webpage. Summarized university and faculty-specific results will be prepared only for the faculties and academic support units on campus. If you are interested in receiving the summary 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 initiative-specific questions. Different groups within the University of Waterloo may have specific questions for you about a current initiative, such as your faculty, your satellite campus, or various academic support units. If this is the case, the University of Waterloo group that posed the questions will receive a weighted and summarized report, which will only be used for evaluation and/or research purposes to help improve their programs and services.
Contact information used to administer the incentives will be stored separately from survey responses. Your de-identified survey responses may be linked to demographics 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 to 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.
What support services are available to me if I need them as a result of the survey questions?
The survey includes topics that may evoke an emotional response in some people. If at any time during the survey you feel upset or experience anxiety, please exit immediately by closing the survey. You can choose to re-enter the survey later by clicking on the survey link in your invitation or reminder emails, through LEARN or by reaching out to iapscsru@uwaterloo.ca for more assistance. Your survey responses will not be used if you do not consent to participate in the survey.
In addition, information on support resources and services offered through the university and in the Waterloo region will be provided along with the questions that may evoke an emotional response in some people. Please see the Additional Support Resources below. These resources are also available in the survey's "Help Box".
