College-wide Survey Procedure

Type

Procedure

Category

Miscellaneous

Department

Institutional Research

Phone

(541) 463-5510

Primary Contact

Shelley Tinkham

Contact Email

Responsible Executive Authority

Vice President of Academic Affairs

Purpose

This procedure is intended to make sure that surveys are conducted in ways that do not harm participants, avoid the improper release of protected information (HIPAA and FERPA, as well as personally identifying information), and mitigate “survey fatigue.” It provides an expedited IRB process for human subject research involving students and employees of the college. The procedure affects surveys on student groups larger than one (1) class section, and/or employee groups larger than one (1) division. By following this procedure, institutional research can ensure that all surveys conducted within the institution align with the college’s goals and objectives, follow ethical guidelines, and produce valid and reliable results. 

Exceptions: 

Surveys that are part of a research project from an outside organization must utilize the full IRB process.

Surveys of bargaining unit members conducted by their representative body are exempt from this procedure.

Narrative

All-Campus Surveys

  1. Submission of Survey Proposal: Anyone who wishes to conduct a survey within the institution on a group of students larger than one class section, and/or a group of employees larger than one division must submit a survey proposal to the Institutional Research Office. The proposal should include the purpose of the survey, the intended or sample population, the survey questions, the survey method, and the intended use of the survey results.
  2. Initial Review: The Institutional Research Department will conduct an initial review of the survey proposal to ensure that it aligns with the institution's goals and objectives, does not duplicate existing surveys, and follows ethical guidelines for survey research.
  3. Preliminary Approval: If the survey proposal meets the initial review criteria, it will be approved by the Institutional Research Office to move forward. The survey proposer will be notified of the approval and given instructions on how to proceed with conducting the survey.
  4. Review of Survey Questions: The Institutional Research Office will review the survey questions to ensure that they are clear, unbiased, and appropriate for the audience. Any necessary revisions or suggestions will be communicated to the survey proposer.
  5. Approval of Final Survey: Once the survey questions have been revised to meet the Institutional Research Office’s standards, the final survey will be approved by the proposer’s department or the council, if relevant. The survey proposer will be notified of the approval and given instructions on how to conduct the survey.
  6. Data Collection: The survey proposer may proceed with data collection after receiving approval from the Institutional Research Office.
  7. Data Analysis: The Institutional Research Office will conduct the data analysis process or may review the analysis conducted by the survey proposer if that is determined in Step 5.

Date Adopted

Monday, April 24, 2023

Date Last Reviewed

Monday, April 24, 2023