University Staff and Student Surveys
The formal Accountability Structure adopted by the University comprises separate cycles of planning and budgeting, reporting on outcomes and performance, and evaluation. The University commenced a comprehensive program of staff and student surveys in 1997, and has now built a substantial database of information to monitor satisfaction and improvements in a range of areas. The program, previously known as the Evaluation Cycle, is managed by the University Planning, Evaluation and Quality (UPEQ) team.
University Planning, Evaluation and Quality also oversees the work of the University of Melbourne Surveys Reference Group (UMSRG) that sets out policy surrounding the scheduling and co-ordination of surveys involving University stakeholders. Survey proponents, both internal and external to the University, wishing to survey staff or students should apply to the UMSRG for formal clearance. Details of the policy, application procedure and reports arising from surveys are available from the UMSRG website.
Current Surveys
Current surveys include:
- Melbourne Experience Survey (MES) for coursework students
- Melbourne Research Experience Survey (MRES) for research higher degree students
- Quality of Teaching (QoT)
- Australian Graduate Survey (AGS) which is made up of three major components:
- Beyond Graduation Survey 2009
- International student surveys - including those run by other University departments and external organisations
- Quality of University Management and Administration (QUMA)
- Staff surveys
Other Surveys
Surveys that have been conducted in the past but are now discontinued or subsumed under other surveys include:
- Quality of Administrative and Support Services for Students (QASSS) - now subsumed under the MES
- Quality of Research Supervision(QRS) - now subsumed under the MRES
- Grad Views
- Employer Feedback Survey (EFS)
Schedule of Approved Surveys
The timetable of surveys for 2009-2010 is available for University of Melbourne staff only.
What happens to the results?
The data are analysed, and reports of current and trend data are compiled and distributed to University senior executive, Academic Board and various of its sub-committees, Faculty Deans and managers, and other relevant officers depending on the subject. The primary audience for these reports are the Teaching and Learning Quality Assurance Committee (TALQAC) and the Office of the Provost.
TALQAC has as part of its terms of reference a responsibility to review and assess quality in teaching and learning in all award courses and associated student support programs, and to provide advice to Academic Board and to Planning and Budgets Committee on matters under its purview.
The data are used for external reporting (to the Commonwealth Government's Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, for example), as well as for internal reporting (for example, faculty or course reviews, some of which occur annually).
Individual organisational units within the University discuss the results further with their particular client groups. They also use results to develop further more detailed and targeted evaluations of their services.