The designation of 'Core University Survey' is reserved for high-impact, institutional instruments that provide essential data for strategic planning, accreditation, student health and safety, and compliance across the University. Because these surveys directly inform critical policy adjustments and long-term institutional goals—such as the Elevate Extraordinary 2030 strategic initiative—they receive priority on the official University Survey Calendar. By coordinating through the University Survey Advisory Team (U-SAT), we ensure these essential assessments are strategically timed to maintain high data quality while protecting our community from survey fatigue.
Understanding Core University Surveys
The designation of Core University Survey is strictly reserved for high-impact, institutional survey instruments that possess senior-level administrative support and provide essential data for University-wide strategic planning, accreditation, student health and safety, or federal/state compliance.
Because these instruments directly inform critical policy adjustments and long-term institutional benchmarks (such as the Elevate Extraordinary 2030 strategic goals), they are granted priority placement on the official University Survey Calendar. To protect our community from survey fatigue and maintain high data quality, all core survey sponsors coordinate closely with the University Survey Advisory Team (U-SAT) to optimize timing and avoid overlapping deployment windows.
The Criteria for Core Designation
To achieve and maintain Core status, a survey must meet rigorous standards defined by U-SAT:
- Executive Sponsorship: Supported at the level of Dean, Vice Provost, Vice President, Executive Vice President and Provost, Chancellor or President.
- Institutional Impact: Data is actively utilized to guide high-level university rules, institutional goals and/or accreditation requirements.
- Broad Scope: Targets a complete census or a large-scale, representative sample of a campus-wide population.
- Recurring Cycle: Measures longitudinal trends over a recurring cycle (annual, biennial, or triennial) rather than one-off "pulse" data.
- Uniqueness of Data: Proves that the requested data cannot be captured via existing administrative records or other core instruments.
Core Student Survey Directory
Core Student Survey Directory
Student Experience in the Research University (SERU)
- What Makes it a Core Survey: This is an online census survey administered biennially to all degree-seeking undergraduate students. Sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Education, it provides an exhaustive, longitudinal snapshot of student engagement, time usage, academic development, and campus climate to benchmark against top-tier peer research institutions.
- Website: Undergrad SERU
- Availability of Results: Results are available to the campus community, and can be viewed here.
- Next Planned Administration: Spring 2028 semester
- Primary Contact: [email protected] (Steven Hawks, Campus Administrator)
Graduate Student Experience in the Research University (gradSERU)
- What Makes it a Core Survey: The graduate-level counterpart to the undergraduate SERU, this survey collects critical baseline data tracking the specific research environments, advising quality, funding profiles, and professional milestones of graduate and professional students to guide Graduate School policy.
- Website: gradSERU
- Availability of Results: Results are available to the campus community, and can be viewed here.
- Next Planned Administration: Spring 2027 semester
- Primary Contact: [email protected] (Ilya Begelman, Campus Administrator)
Campus Climate Survey
- What Makes it a Core Survey: A large-scale institutional assessment that evaluates campus culture surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion, and safety. The resulting data shapes central equity frameworks, resource allocations, and accountability indicators for senior leadership.
- Website: YourU
- Availability of Results: Results are available to the campus community, and can be viewed here.
- Next Planned Administration: TBD
- Primary Contact: [email protected] (Office for Equity & Diversity)
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
- What Makes it a Core Survey: A recurring, multi-institutional benchmarking instrument targeted at first-year and senior undergraduate students. It measures time and effort spent on educationally purposeful activities, serving as a critical data source for regional accreditation reviews and national peer comparisons.
- Website:
- University of Minnesota Crookston: Institutional Effectiveness (Common Data Set and Surveys)
- University of Minnesota Duluth: Office of Institutional Research (Campus Surveys)
- University of Minnesota Morris: Office of Enrollment Management & Institutional Effectiveness and Research
- Availability of Results: Results are shared by campus and/or available upon request. Inquire with the specific campus that you are interested in.
- Next Planned Administration: TBD
- Primary Contact: Refer to each campus' page for contact information
Post Graduation Survey (PGS)
- What Makes it a Core Survey: Administered annually to recent baccalaureate graduating cohorts to collect data on employment status, geographic distribution, average salaries, and continuing education plans. This data is essential for state and federal compliance, institutional transparency disclosures, and collegiate career services optimization.
- Website: Post Graduation Student Outcomes
- Availability of Results: Results are available to the campus community, and can be viewed here.
- Next Planned Administration: Administered each semester
- Primary Contact: [email protected]
College Student Health Survey (CSHS)
- What Makes it a Core Survey: Developed and deployed by Boynton Health every two to three years, this survey queries a large randomized sample of undergraduate and graduate students across eight wellness domains (including mental health, substance use, and financial stress). The results directly inform campus healthcare infrastructure, support groups, and grant funding requests.
- Website: College Student Health Survey
- Availability of Results: Results are available to the campus community, and can be viewed here.
- Next Planned Administration: Spring 2027 semester
- Primary Contact: [email protected] (Jeannette Sample, Administrator)
Prevention of Sexual Misconduct Survey
Prevention of Sexual Misconduct Survey
- What Makes it a Core Survey: A high-level, recurring safety and compliance instrument tracking student experiences, safety awareness, and environmental factors relating to sexual misconduct. It is vital for federal Title IX compliance reporting and campus safety strategic plans.
- Website: Sexual Misconduct Prevention Program
- Availability of Results: Results will be added to the linked website when available.
- Next Planned Administration: Spring 2028 semester
- Primary Contact: Office for Equity & Diversity (Maggie Campe, Administrator)
Student Wellbeing Institutional Support Survey (SWISS)
- What Makes it a Core Survey: Formatted to gauge student perceptions of how effectively the university’s physical spaces, policies, and environments support holistic well-being. This recurring data maps directly to multi-million dollar Student Affairs and wellness resource decisions.
- Website: Office for Student Affairs
- Availability of Results: Results are available upon request.
- Next Planned Administration: Fall 2027 semester
- Primary Contact: Office for Student Affairs (Christopher Kast, Campus Administrator)
IT Feedback Survey
- What Makes it a Core Survey: A broad-scope technology assessment tracking student, faculty, and staff interactions with digital tools, cellular coverage, and software accessibility across campus. It provides direct user feedback used by IT leadership to dictate capital investments and network security enhancements.
- Website: [Link to OIT Survey Page]
- Availability of Results: Results are available to the campus community, and can be viewed here.
- Next Planned Administration: Fall 2027 semester
- Primary Contact: OIT Leads - Joshua Ruegg and CJ Loosbrock