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Survey Oversight Policy

Document Control Grid
Policy/Procedure Title Survey Oversight Policy
Date Approved 7 May 2025
Approving Body Taught Student Education Board
Implementation Date September 2025
Version 1.0
Revisions N/A
Supersedes N/A
Previous Review Dates N/A
Next Review Date June 2026
Related Statutes, Ordinances, General Regulations
Related Policies
Related Procedures and Guidance
Policy Owner Quality Assurance and Enhancement Team
Lead Contact Head of Quality Assurance and Enhancement

 

Survey Oversight Policy

Overview

The aim of the Survey Oversight policy is to better rationalise and regulate student education/ experience surveys at Leeds and to foster a collaborative community which supports good practice. The policy follows the practice of other UK Higher Education Institutions.

The survey landscape at Leeds is currently congested with a large number of surveys running, many of these cohort-wide. Despite recent efforts to coordinate activity, there is no joined-up way for staff and students to understand what data is being gathered, when, and for what purpose. This can be fatiguing to students and staff alike, and surveys at all levels face problems with low or inconsistent student engagement and response rates. Furthermore 2024 NSS results show that students do not feel that their feedback is valued or acted upon suggesting that the impact of survey activity is not being relayed to students.

This policy, which has been written in partnership with students, is intended to remedy these issues by ensuring:

  • That we’re asking students the right questions at the right times and in the right ways.
  • That students can be confident that when they provide feedback we will listen to and act on this.
  • That those wanting to run surveys can easily find information about the survey landscape and have access to a supportive community of practice and relevant expertise.

The policy acknowledges that surveys fulfil many different purposes at Leeds, and that factors such as the size of a survey’s proposed sample or its regulatory purpose will impact the criteria that it needs to meet to be approved.

The policy’s implementation will be overseen by the Survey Oversight Group, which will be responsible for approvals, and will collaborate closely with local decision makes (eg. Faculty groups determining where surveys can be shared locally).  It will be supported by the creation of operational guidance, resources and community spaces which will be available prior to the implementation of the policy from September 2025.

Policy Wording

Aim

1. This policy is for the regulation and rationalisation of the student-facing education/experience surveys at Leeds. It seeks to ensure that this activity is focused, purposeful and reduces survey fatigue.

Scope

2. The policy applies broadly to surveys addressing current students which:

  • a. Are about student education or experience;
    b. Sample a large group (250+ students) across more than one unit/school/department;
    c. Are promoted via digital communications (e.g. Minerva, email).

3. Surveys falling within this scope must be submitted to the Survey Oversight Group for approval prior to being run, unless they fall within an exemption (see points 8-11 below). Requests will be submitted via a form, with a clear timeline for approvals to ensure that activity is not held up by this process.

4. Surveys will be added to a repository mapping activity and questions. This will allow for the effective institutional monitoring and joining up of survey activity and datasets, identification of areas of repetition and, where appropriate, the development of trend analysis and benchmarking.

5. Surveys will be approved based on a range of criteria appropriate to the scale and function of the survey (see points 12-19). A clear timeline for the turnaround of approvals will be offered, ensuring that those wishing to run surveys can plan accordingly.

6. The policy applies to both new and existing surveys unless the proposed survey meets any of the exemptions listed. The types of surveys the policy will apply to includes any externally led survey e.g. those run by Advance HE, Jisc and iGraduate, and any internal survey e.g. evaluation of teaching or student experience, but also surveys run for educational research purposes, those monitoring service delivery, and those feeding into review processes.

7. Once approved, annual surveys making significant changes to question set, sample or timing, should re-apply to the group for approval.

Exemptions

8. All surveys addressing students prior to starting at Leeds, or after graduation.

9. Polls and questionnaires run during focus groups, workshops, or synchronous teaching sessions (e.g. using Vevox), including as part of module check-ins.

10. UG and PGT students completing research projects.

11. Student representatives running short surveys to proactively address the immediate concerns of students. Student representatives and interns wishing to run more substantial surveys about student education/experience matters will need to seek approval as appropriate. There will be additional support for students undertaking this process.

Criteria for survey approval

12. The objectives of the survey cannot feasibly be fulfilled through other means (e.g. focus groups, online interviews, exit polls of events, online polls, analytics).

13. The data does not already exist in a suitable form.[1]

14. The survey does not substantively duplicate questions from other surveys addressing the same cohort in the same year unless there is strong reason to compare data gathered within the same session.

15. The survey is relevant and targeted at the population from which the data is needed.

16. The survey is timely (i.e. considered in the light of existing survey timings to avoid overloading students and reducing response rates in surveys that meet institutional strategic objectives).

17. There is a clear plan regarding:

  • a. How results will inform practice or the development of student education and/or experience;
    b. How the analysis of results and dissemination of outcomes will be resourced and managed;
    c. How the feedback loop will be closed with participants.

18. The need for ethical approval has been considered and, if required, has been obtained or is being sought.

19. Applications will be prioritised based on meeting at least one of the following criteria relating to their institutional or local contribution:

  • a. The survey supports achieving the strategic objectives and priorities of the University or of a school/unit, faculty, institute or service. This includes surveys that measure Key Performance Indicators.
    b. The survey is designed to contribute to reflection and continuous improvement by the University.
    c. The survey responds to student feedback and will inform enhancement of our teaching activity or other services.
    d. The survey is required for external compliance.
    e. The survey will provide data enabling useful benchmarking with other institutions and/or impact on the University’s external reputation through league tables or other measures.
    f. The survey supports external initiatives to which the University wishes to contribute, particularly where these are sector-wide.

Resources

20. The following resources will be available to support applicants:

  • a. A flow diagram outlining the application process and timeline of approval process.
    b. Resources to support awareness of current survey practice at Leeds.
    c. Resources to support appropriate design of survey questions, data protection, engagement with students, and use of University of Leeds IT systems to gather data.
    d. An online community of practice for those working with student experience surveys.

21. Additionally, the possibility of convening a panel of experts to consult on the design of survey questions will be investigated.

Additional steps:

22. Work is planned to seek ethical approval for a number of BAU surveys (e.g. Module Evaluations, UG Programme Survey) which cannot currently be used for research purposes.

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[1] For example, some surveys such and module evaluations (at present) and National Student Survey do not have ethical approval and students do not give their permission for use of their non-aggregated data for research purposes.