Survey Policy #316

Effective February 14, 2019

Purpose

Community College of Philadelphia’s (CCP) culture of assessment includes an interest by many College stakeholders in obtaining information and feedback from various constituencies. One popular tool for gathering information and feedback is a survey.  For purposes of this policy, a survey is defined as a research method that involves asking questions of respondents, either by questionnaire or interview.

The purpose of the policy is to:

• Ensure integrity of survey design, administration, analysis, and communication
• Ensure best practices in survey use to benefit the College, survey users and respondents
• Minimize duplication of effort
• Decrease competition for respondents
• Minimize survey fatigue of respondents
• Improve survey results
• Ensure quality of data collected

Policy Statement

All surveys of College students, employees, or alumni, except surveys identified as recommended or exempt, must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Institutional Research before being conducted.

Examples of Surveys that must be reviewed by Institutional Research

• Surveys that would be administered to employees in more than one department or division
• Surveys that would be administered broadly to students, faculty, or staff college-wide
• Requests from external (non-CCP) parties to survey CCP students, faculty, and staff
• Surveys that are referred to Institutional Research for review by IRB (Institutional Review Board)
• Surveys for which contact information is needed from IR (Institutional Research), HR (Human Resources), or ITS (Information Technology Services), etc.
• Surveys that request participants’ personal identifiable information (PII)

Examples of Surveys recommended for review by Institutional Research

• Surveys that would be administered to students outside of the survey sponsor’s classroom

Exemptions

The following surveys are exempt from the policy:

• Student evaluation of teaching surveys conducted by the College
• Employee evaluations conducted by the College
• Surveys by faculty as part of their instruction of students currently enrolled in their class(es)
• Feedback forms used for registration or to assess workshops or events
• Surveys focused on a small, defined population with which the survey sponsor has an academic relationship
• Surveys that are part of the Institutional Assessment process such as CCSSE (Community College Survey of Student Engagement), Noel-Levitz, and General Education
• Surveys approved by a Community College of Philadelphia Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Procedures

To submit a survey for review:

• Review survey resources available on the Institutional Research website.
• Complete the survey request form available on the Institutional Research website
• Provide the Institutional Research Office with copies of all materials related to conducting the survey (e.g., questions, cover letter, timeline).
• Provide documentation of support and approval of relevant senior administrators.
• Surveys sponsored by faculty must have the approval of the relevant Department Chair.
• Surveys sponsored by administrative departments must have the approval of the Director of the department
• Meet with designated employees in the Office of Institutional Research if requested.
• Maintain documentation of survey approval.
• Maintain data for a period consistent with College policy #313, Records Management and Retention Policy.
• Ensure confidentiality of respondent information.

Resources

The Office of Institutional Research provides resources to help members of the college community think through the steps involved in survey development, develop good questions, and identify appropriate populations. Information about these and other resources available on the IR Website include:

• Survey Guidelines
• FAQ
• Privacy Concerns
• Survey Research Tools
• Professional Development
• A calendar of recent, current, and upcoming surveys