CSCU SAC outlines systemwide student survey; flags IR procedures and incentives

Student Advisory Committee leaders for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities spent the meeting finalizing survey topics and distribution plans, emphasizing the need to clear each campus's institutional review procedures before a systemwide rollout.

"The whole point of the survey is to assess three key factors that we decided on," Luis Sanchez, chair of the SAC, said. He listed academic success and accessibility; campus and digital infrastructure; and financial accessibility and affordability as the primary categories the committee intends to measure.

Members reviewed draft question formats: Likert-style satisfaction scales for advising and facilities; multiple-choice items about Wi-Fi and transfer processes; and short open-ended questions to capture unmet needs. The committee discussed keeping the instrument short to maximize response rates and including a small number of targeted follow-ups. Sanchez said he will share the draft questions and links to each campus’s institutional review or research office for committee members to review.

A persistent procedural hurdle identified by members is the variety of institutional review or research office requirements across campuses. "Each institutional research office is different," Sanchez said, noting that Central, Eastern, Southern, Western and CT State have separate review processes and that SAC members will need to work with local IR/research staff to clear the survey for distribution.

Members also discussed outreach and incentives. The committee expects to request $2,000 from the Board of Regents to fund gift-card incentives and discussed promoting the survey via student government associations and campus social media. Committee members flagged timing as important: the group debated sending the instrument before finals/graduation to reach more students but acknowledged scheduling constraints and the need to finalize IR approvals.

Participants suggested specific subject areas to include or test in the survey: textbook affordability and access (including electronic textbook options), job preparation resources (resumes and interviewing), mental-health services and campus food pantry access. Donna Wagner, Charter Oak representative, described a campus pilot that added an electronic-textbook fee tied to course credits as one example of an alternate approach to textbook access.

Committee members agreed to reconvene in a survey-committee meeting to refine questions and to coordinate with local campus contacts for IR review. The SAC leadership said finalized recommendations and findings will be brought back to SAC for review before being forwarded to the Board of Regents as student-driven recommendations.