C307: Surveys and Questionnaires

2. POLICY

The Policy Sponsor develops, maintains and implements guidelines as are necessary to achieve the stated purpose of this policy. Such guidelines align with the College mission, vision and strategic goals, and reflect College values.

3. REFERENCES

College Policy:

• A201: Research and Innovation

4. APPENDICES

• Procedure A: IMPLEMENTATION

Procedure A: IMPLEMENTATION

Issued by: Executive Director, Business Development and Strategic Support

Effective: 2021-02-22

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this document is to assist College employees in conducting surveys, questionnaires and other similar data collection projects, in an economical and efficient manner and with a minimum of disruption to College employees, students, and the general public.

2. CATEGORIES OF SURVEYS AND SIMILAR PROJECTS

The following categories of surveys are identified for the purpose of assigning responsibilities and procedures (section 3):

2.1.

Surveys conducted or coordinated as part of the routine operation by Strategy and Planning (e.g., student experience surveys, SFS surveys);

2.2.

Surveys conducted by a unit amongst staff or students within the unit only, such as for the purpose of determining needs, attitudes, and opinions on matters relating to the operation of the unit;

2.3.

Surveys conducted by a unit for the purpose of determining needs, attitudes and opinions on matters relating to the operation of the unit and administered at the point of contact (e.g., federally or provincially mandated surveys, customer feedback surveys);

2.4.

Surveys undertaken across the College or to extend into the community for any purpose; and

2.5.

Surveys planned in connection with any private study, whether by an employee or an outside individual or agency.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES

3.1.

An accountable administrator is identified for each survey conducted by or on behalf of the College.

3.2.

An administrator planning to conduct a survey consults with the Manager, Institutional Research, concerning the content, timing, format and other matters associated with surveys. This action is intended to prevent unnecessary duplication of surveys and provide opportunities for efficient survey development and administration.

3.3.

Surveys as described in sections 2.1., 2.2. and 2.3. are conducted at the discretion of the manager of the unit.

3.4.

Authorization from the Executive Director, Business Development and Strategic Support is required to conduct a survey as described in sections 2.4. and 2.5. This action is intended to ensure that the target population of a projected survey and the resources of the College are not overburdened by requests to participate in surveys, as well as to ensure the quality of surveys associated with the College.

3.5.

To align with the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS2) governing research ethics in Canada, if research findings are to be made available through a peer-reviewed publication, the survey requires prior approval from the Research Ethics Review Board (see policy A201) before data is collected.