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Frequently Asked Questions

Why a Word-Wide Web Based System?

Answer: There are four essential findings that supported the development of HigherEd-Survey.Com’s World Wide Web-based survey system:

  1. Increasing Internet access.
    At all levels of the higher education community, Internet access is becoming increasingly common for students, faculty, administrators, and staff. Email and use of the World Wide Web are part of the daily function of most of us who work in higher education.
  2. The need for survey information.
    The ability to obtain information about key issues and enlist the participation of diverse groups is more important than ever before for effective management in the unique higher education environment.
  3. Limited Capabilities and Cost of traditional survey systems.
    The cost of traditional hard paper or telephone surveys is prohibitive except for all but the most essential research efforts. The results is that reliable information is not obtained from key groups before management decisions are made. The survey system provided by HigherEd-Survey.Com is highly affordable and requires minimal time commitments from survey sponsors. The main role of the survey sponsor is to formulate the questions. It is also a more time efficient system for survey participants.
  4. Outsourcing of survey systems.
    Although the technology presented by HigherEd-Survey.Com is not new, or beyond the capabilities of most MIS Departments, outsourcing surveys makes a great deal of sense from both a direct and indirect cost standpoint. MIS Departments often have such extraordinarily large project agendas that performing survey of students, faculty, administrators, or staff, is not feasible. The favorable cost, and unique features of the WWW system provided by HigherEd-Survey.Com, is also a key factor supporting outsourcing of surveys.

Who can use HigherED-survey.com’s WWW survey the system?

Answer: The survey system is intended for use by numerous groups within the higher education community. Student surveys by student affairs departments, student government surveys, faculty senate surveys, employee surveys, are just a few of the examples of how our survey system may be used. The survey system may also be used by national or regional higher education associations.

How would a typical survey work for a student affairs division that wants to survey students?

Answer: The sample size would be determined and the student participants would be randomly selected by the institution. Notice of participation in the survey would be sent to the students selected either by the college/university or HigherEd-Survey.Com by electronic mail (notice may also be sent by postcard or telephone). Only the randomly selected survey participants may be allowed to access the survey (using student identification numbers or some other password).

Not all of our students are Internet connected, and expect some bias in the survey results for low income students who do not have computers?

Answer: Almost all colleges and universities make computer access available at various locations on campus, but if this is a major concern, the survey can be augmented by using telephone data entry for groups that are expected to be under-represented. A survey team can make telephone calls to the expected under-represented groups and enter the data directly into the WEB-based survey for the student respondent. There are also other creative strategies for obtaining an unbiased survey, many of which will depend upon your local environment.

What exactly do we have to do to have survey performed?

Answer: The survey sponsor is responsible for the following (see Technical Information for additional details about the survey process):
  1. Determine who are the survey participants
  2. Decide if the survey notice is to be sent by email by the sponsor or HigherEd-Survey.Com (additional notices via telephone or postcard are the responsibility of the survey sponsor)
  3. Determine if the survey respondents will only use direct World-Wide-Web input or if other forms (e.g., telephone surveys) will be used in conjunction with the World-Wide-Web.
  4. Determine the questions that are to be asked (HigherEd-Survey.Com will provide limited counseling for this component).
  5. Determine the prizes or other incentives, if any, that are to be used for encouraging participation in the survey.
  6. Monitor survey results (using the confidential data home page for the survey) and make follow-up contacts as necessary to garner desired participation in the survey.
  7. Receive final survey data base by computer file from HigherEd-Survey.Com.
  8. Print a final report using the confidential data home page for the survey.
  9. Pay the initial project set-up fee and final billing from HigherEd-Survey.Com at the conclusion of the survey process, and make arrangements for any subsequent surveys.

What if we simply want to purchase the code for the survey from Higher-Ed-Survey.Com and run the survey on our system?

Answer: The code for the survey system is available for purchase. There is a prohibition on resale of the survey and the price is determined on an individual transaction basis.