Is this survey legitimate?
Yes. This survey is run annually by KPU’s Office of Planning & Accountability. Students are invited to participate via an email sent from qualtrics@kpu.ca, as well as links posted on Moodle, in “Update to KPU Students” emails, posters and postcards on campus, and KPU social media channels.
How long will the survey be open?
The deadline for completing the survey has been extended to 11:59pm on Sunday, November 24.
I'm having trouble accessing the survey. Why is this happening? What should I do?
The main reasons for access issues are eligibility and name/email changes.
The survey is only open for students who are enrolled in courses this Fall, or continuing Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing students who are returning in the Spring but whose program is paused in the Fall. The survey is not intended for dual-credit (high school) students, visiting/exchange students, students only taking Continuing and Professional Studies courses, or students only taking courses through the Phoenix program.
If your KPU email address was recently updated, it may not have been captured in our initial recipient list. You should still be able to participate once we are notified of the problem.
For any access issues, please contact KPU’s Office of Planning & Accountability at opa@kpu.ca as soon as possible, using your KPU email address.
Is this survey confidential? Who will have access to my information?
Your survey answers are completely confidential. All personally identifiable information, such as your name or email address, is removed prior to analysis so that you are not linked with your answers. The survey responses you provide are only accessible by a restricted number of staff in the Office of Planning & Accountability for the purpose of analysis. The same is true for your contact information (i.e., email address), which is only used for the purpose of conducting the prize draw and contacting the winner.
I completed the survey but I’m still getting reminder emails. What should I do?
Thank you for participating in the survey! If you completed it through a QR code or link that was not sent to you directly from qualtrics@kpu.ca, you may continue receiving reminder emails even though your response has been recorded. If you’ve submitted the survey and want to stop getting the emails from qualtrics@kpu.ca, please click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the message.
The survey has questions about my identity, background, and health (e.g., race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, whether my parents attended post-secondary education, physical activity). Why does KPU need to collect such personal information? How will it be used?
KPU aims to create an equitable environment where all students feel they are treated fairly. In order to eliminate barriers to inclusion, we must first identify where and for whom those barriers exist. Collecting demographic information on the student body helps KPU to identify service gaps and make evidence-based decisions. Questions about health will be used to inform what types of improvements to existing services, initiatives, and resources would be most helpful to students.
The information collected on the Student Satisfaction Survey has been and will be used in many ways for the purpose of supporting KPU’s student body. Some examples include:
- Informing the development of health programs and policies (such as such as awareness campaigns and addiction supports),
- Improving current well-being related resources (e.g., counselling, sports and recreation),
- Increasing grant funding available to students to help combat food insecurity,
- Nutrition Month 2024 (free breakfasts for students and food-related workshops in March 2024),
- Hiring chaplains from different backgrounds for the Multi-Faith Centre,
- Supporting KPU’s Pride Crosswalks project, as well as a faculty member’s grants to do more research on how 2SLGBTQIA+ students are doing at KPU and other similar institutions in BC,
- Guiding funding of workshops for students and employees, and
- Improving understanding for service departments and Faculties/Schools about who they are serving.
Please note that you also have the option to skip or select the “Prefer not to answer” option for questions of a personal nature that you don’t feel comfortable answering.
You asked a question about racial background. How were the categories chosen?
These categories were chosen based on the recently developed BC Demographic Survey instrument, which was created after extensive consultations across the province. Some categories were added or revised based on what we already know about the racial diversity of the KPU region and our student body in order to help students find categories that best describe them. Racial categories are not based in science, and there is no agreement on how race should be categorized. The way we identify ourselves may also differ from the way we might be perceived by others. We recognize that the categories are uneven at times (i.e., categories are variously based on country, region, or racial group). After research and consultation, we understand there’s no perfect way to collect this data, and we have prioritized making the question as clear as possible to all students.
How will the survey results be shared?
Results are reported in the form of an interactive dashboard available to KPU employees, and are also included in publicly available infographic reports:
Quantitative results from the survey will only be shared in aggregate, in a summarized format. For example, we may report the percentage of students who are dissatisfied with the registration process, or the average number of courses students wanted to take this semester. Verbatim written comments will also be shared, but any personal information is redacted before reporting (e.g., all names or contact information are removed).
The prize for the survey is a chance to win either an $800 tuition waiver or a $400 gift card. Why are the amounts different? Why can’t the winner receive a cash prize instead?
Before 2022, only a tuition waiver had been offered as a prize. Recognizing that this would not be helpful for students who are graduating this Fall, or those who have their tuition paid through other means (e.g., the Former Youth in Care tuition waiver), we decided to create an alternative prize that would still be a substantial amount. We are unable to provide cash substitutes or to provide an equally large gift card due to Canada Revenue Agency regulations regarding cash-based prizes.
Who should I contact if I have more questions about the survey?
You can contact our office at opa@kpu.ca. One of our team members will get back to you as soon as we can.