UF looks for student feedback through online survey

March 17, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida is seeking to better understand the student undergraduate college experience through an online survey.

Students will review the quality of education, student services and other aspects of their UF experience. Results of the survey will help administrators understand the undergraduate experience and allow for improvements in programs and services. This is the first year this program, Student Experience in the Research University, known as SERU, will be administered at UF. A total of 1,656 students had completed the survey on Monday, the first day of the survey.

“SERU is an important way that students may voice their opinion about their experience at UF,” said Marie Zeglen, UF project leader, assistant provost and director of Institutional Planning and Research. “By telling us what is good and what they would like to see improved, students can help UF create the best possible undergraduate experience here. It’s a vote, not just another survey.”

The survey will be provided through ISIS at http://www.isis.ufl.edu from March 16 until early summer. Participation is voluntary, but all undergraduate students are encouraged to participate. The survey should take approximately 25 minutes. Students may return to the survey numerous times until completion.

Students who meet the specific requirements for the SERU survey must participate in order to be eligible for the student lottery for football tickets. To take the SERU, students must be an undergraduate degree-seeking student in spring 2009 and 18 years old as of March 16, 2009. Students not eligible for the SERU (graduate, professional, and incoming freshmen) are automatically eligible for the football lottery.

Every student completing the survey is also eligible for $3,000 in rewards, including $50 coupons from the UF Bookstore, other items from the bookstore, gift cards from Gator Dining and sessions with a personal trainer at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center. Students
who finish the survey also will receive a buy-one, get-one-free offer of admission to the Butterfly Rainforest.

SERU originally was developed for the University of California system by the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education, and has been administered since 2003. UF was invited to participate in the survey as part of a pilot program. Other participating schools include the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Oregon, Rutgers University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Jeanna Mastrodicasa, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said, “The Division of Student Affairs is very interested in feedback about our services and the many ways we support students.”

More information about the SERU survey is available at http://www.aa.ufl.edu/SERU/.