Surveys

The Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Policy Studies at UC Santa Cruz is actively engaged in conducting a strategic survey research program that includes participation in nationally-developed survey projects and the development and administration of locally-developed survey instruments. These survey activities are part of the university’s commitment to institutional effectiveness and improvement.

UCSC conducts the following surveys of students that provide valuable information on students' academic and social experiences, learning outcomes, and post-graduation plans:

Surveys of Undergraduate Students

• University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) is a biennial survey of all enrolled undergraduates.
• College Choice Survey is a periodic survey of first-year and transfer students admitted to UCSC.
• Class Availability Student Survey (CLASS) is an annual survey of all enrolled undergraduates
• First Destination Survey is an ongoing survey of unegraduates who recently graudated from UCSC

Surveys of Graduate Students

• UCSC Graduate Student Survey is a biennial survey of all enrolled graduate programs.

Other Student Surveys

Other surveys are conducted from time-to-time to address issues of current interest on campus.  

Previous surveys have included the (Links to the most recent version of the reports are provided. If you would like access to older reports, please contact IRAPS via email with your request.):

• Freshman Survey (CIRP): a biennial survey of the incoming first-year cohort, designed by Higher Education Research Institute (1993-2010).
• Majors Survey: provides student feedback about the quality of the undergraduate academic programs and the value of students’ experiences in their majors (2004).
• National Survey of Student Engagement: sponsored by Pew Charitable Trust, provides information about the extent to which colleges and universities exhibit characteristics associated with good educational practices (2001).
• Diverse Learning Environments Survey (DLE): is a survey of undergraduates that was part of the 2011 Diversity and Community Building Study at UCSC (2011).
• Queer Students of Color: Experiences and Engagement: A Report on research findings and recommendations for the improvement of visibility, inclusivity, and retention of Queer Students of Color at UCSC (2015).
• Academic Social Climate for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Students: A survey commissioned by the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Committee. The results are based on a random survey of undergraduate students and a self-selecting survey of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students. (1989).

For assistance with survey question development, survey administration, or for more information about the surveys mentioned above, please contact surveys@ucsc.edu.