What is a survey? 

For the purposes of U-SAT, a survey (or questionnaire) is defined as a list of questions typically asked by internal stakeholders (faculty, staff or students) of undergraduate or graduate students, oftentimes administered through an online survey software platform such as Qualtrics or other approved and supported platforms.

What is NOT a survey?

Certain forms and data collection instruments are not considered surveys by U-SAT and do not need to be submitted for review. These include:

• Student Rating of Teaching (SRTs) and course evaluations
• In-class check-ins
• Lunch preferences
• Program satisfactions
• Quizzes and test instruments
• RSVPs and scheduling forms
• Human resources documents
• Workshop registrations

Who can survey and who can they survey? 

Current faculty, staff and students looking to administer a survey are subject to the following eligibility guidelines:

• Eligibility: You must be a current faculty, staff or student at the University of Minnesota.
• Sample Size Thresholds: Refer to the sub-bullets below for an overall, and by each campus threshold to determine if your request must be reviewed and approved by U-SAT.  
  •  A total of 1,000 or more students on the Twin Cities campus or a combination of campuses; 
  • 15% or more of the current student enrollment from Crookston, Morris or Rochester;
  • 4% or more of the current student enrollment from Duluth.
• Prior Approval: Requesters meeting the above thresholds must receive approval from their collegiate dean or higher authority prior to submitting their request to U-SAT. Please note that obtaining this prior approval does not guarantee that U-SAT will approve the survey request.
• Expedited Review: Surveys requests that fall below the listed sample size thresholds above will undergo an expedited review process by U-SAT.

If your project meets the definition of a survey and you are eligible to survey the requested population according to the principles outlined above, please submit your project for review.

Intake and Consultation Form

Whether you are launching a large-scale university assessment or a small, targeted questionnaire, we ask that you register your project.

Intake and Consultation Form

The Purpose of the Form: This form serves as the primary intake system for the University Survey Activity Team (U-SAT). It is designed to help faculty, staff and students efficiently request student email samples, secure necessary approvals for large-scale deployments, and request optional consultation on survey design and administration.

Why should I submit the form if my survey is small or I don't need help? We strongly encourage you to submit your survey details even if your project falls below the minimum review thresholds (refer to expedited review above) and you are not seeking U-SAT assistance.

Registering your survey benefits both your project and the broader university community in several ways:

• Helps Populate the Survey Calendar: Adding your project to the calendar ensures other researchers know you are surveying students, which helps prevent them from scheduling competing surveys during your deployment window.
• Protects the Student Experience: Even small, targeted surveys contribute to the overall volume of emails students receive. Tracking all survey activity allows the university to accurately measure the true survey burden and proactively combat "survey fatigue."
• Builds a Better Survey Landscape: Comprehensive tracking helps the university identify overlapping research interests, fostering collaboration between departments and preventing redundant data collection.
• Unlocks Optional Resources: Registering your project connects you with U-SAT. Even if you don't need official approval, our team can share best practices, optimal launch dates, information about existing surveys/datasets that may meet your needs and access to campus survey resources if you ever need them.