This Policy provides information and guidance on the planning and administration of surveys at the University of Canberra, including the storage, and subsequent reporting and use of results.
The intent of the Survey Policy is to provide a coordinated approach to survey management, thereby:

• avoiding survey fatigue and improve response rates;
• guarantee core University Surveys remain a priority and aligned to strategic objectives;
• improve the utilisation of information collected during the survey process; and
• ensure appropriate access and use of survey data and personal information.

The scope of this policy includes all requests to implement new ad hoc or regular surveys, including changes to existing core surveys to be offered to stakeholders of the University including:

1. past and present students;
2. past and present staff;
3. external stakeholders including members of the public, industry and government; and
4. surveys completed orally, in hardcopy or online.

The scope of this policy also includes requests to access existing University survey data for the purposes of a research project.
This policy includes all surveys offered by University Faculties, administrative support areas, University Research Centres and University of Canberra Union (UCU).
The scope of this policy includes surveys to be undertaken as part of a project by University students and staff for the purposes of conducting research or completing any course requirements at the University.
The scope of this policy excludes:

1. “formative feedback” surveys offered to students mid-semester by teaching staff; and
2. surveys undertaken by faculties with students enrolled in the faculty’s courses or units where the results will be used as part of a quality assurance process.

1. Surveys are a critical part of the University’s Quality and Standards Framework in terms of collecting feedback from stakeholders to inform the University’s plan-implement-evaluation-improve (PIEI) quality assurance cycle. 
2. New core or non-core surveys as detailed in this Policy require approval from the Survey Reference Group prior to being executed.
3. Access to, and use of, University survey data to undertake research to be externally published or presented must first be approved by the relevant member of the Survey Reference Group. Depending on the nature of the request, requests may be referred to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) for consideration by the Research Services Office and/or relevant Research Committee.
4. Approved surveys will be included in the University Survey Register in a timely manner by the Strategy, Planning and Performance unit prior to being undertaken.
5. The Strategy, Planning and Performance is responsible for:
   • informing the Survey Reference Group and the requesting area of any known conflicts or concerns associated with the proposed survey; and
   • advising the requesting area of feedback from the Survey Reference Group and, where required, providing guidance on how best to administer the survey.
6. This policy should be read in conjunction with the online Survey Procedure and Survey Register as outlined below. 
7. Unless there is a significant change in approach planned, surveys already listed on the Survey Register do not require approval each time they are executed. Such changes might include an adjustment to the survey methodology, stakeholder group and/or timing.
8. Individual responses and personal information collected as part of the survey process should be managed in accordance with the University’s Information Security Policy Framework, Privacy Act 1998 (Cth) and Information Privacy Principles.
9. Prizes offered as an incentive to respondents should comply with ACT Gambling and Racing Commission requirements, including submission of the relevant permit and fees to the Commission. Detail on the Commission’s requirements can be found on their website listed below.

Documents related to this policy are:

• Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) 
• “Privacy at UC” website
• ACT Gambling and Racing Commission website
• DITM and Records Management Policy Manual

Term	Definition
Survey	Technique for gathering data on attitudes, opinions and satisfaction levels from staff, students and other stakeholders, including hardcopy and online questionnaires, and focus groups.
Core University Surveys	Approved core surveys are typically undertaken on a cyclical basis and form part of the University’s Quality and Standards Framework. Refer to the University Survey Register (online) for detail on each of the core surveys.
Non-core University Survey	Surveys other than those defined as “Core University Surveys”, as outlined above. Non-core surveys are typically ad hoc or one-off in nature.
Survey Reference Group	Reference group consisting of members of the Vice-Chancellor’s Group (VCG) responsible for providing approval for new core and non-core surveys, and requests to access existing survey data. This group consists of: Vice-President Students and Partnerships: approval of external surveys. Registrar: approval of staff surveys. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation): for approval of student surveys. This Group will meet on an as needs basis, with requests for new surveys and access to survey data otherwise being undertaken via email. Approval to proceed with the requested survey will be required from the specific VCG member(s) depending on the intended survey audience.
Survey Data	All survey information, both qualitative and quantitative, collected from survey respondents during the course of a completing a University survey.