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Since 1995, Quality Advancement has conducted:

  • the Student Opinion Survey(s) (of current undergraduate and postgraduate students) comprising the Academic Experience Survey and the Support Services Improvement Survey

The Student Opinion Survey - Support Services Improvement Survey is run annually, each year a random sample of 4000 students are invited to participate in the survey.

The Student Opinion Survey - Academic Experience is run biennially as a census of all students enrolled at the time of the survey minus those that have been invited to respond to Support Services Improvement Survey.

The Graduate Opinion Survey is run annually as a survey of all students who have completed the requirements for their course during the academic year prior to the last full academic year (i.e The 2025 Graduate Opinion Survey contacted graduates who completed their qualification requirements in 2023).

The results of these surveys help the University to identify areas of strengths as well as areas for improvement.

The Quality Advancement Unit is also responsible for the following surveys:

  • the College and First Year Survey (includes the College Resident Survey)
  • the International Student Barometer (in collaboration with i-Graduate)
  • the Staff Values and Behaviours Survey

Surveys News

  • The 2024 Student Opinion Survey - Academic Experience closed in October 2024. The response rate for the survey was 46% (7,017 responses). The next Academic Experience Survey will take place in semester 2 2026.
  • The 2025 Student Opinion Survey - Support Services Improvement Survey closed in October 2025. The response rate for the survey was 33% (1,321 responses).
  • The 2025 Graduate Opinion Survey closed in May 2025. The response rate for the survey was 39% (2,143 responses).
  • The 2025 College and First Year Survey closed in May 2025. The response rate for the survey was 52% (2,656 responses).

Surveys Structure

In additional to collecting some demographic information, which allows analysis by different sub-groups of students, the surveys seek feedback on the following:

Student Opinion Survey - Academic Experience

  • Course details
  • Course experiences
  • Postgraduate supervision & experience

Student Opinion Survey - Support Services

  • University services

Graduate Opinion Survey

  • Course details
  • Course experiences
  • Postgraduate supervision & support
  • Course outcomes

College and First Year Survey

  • College Resident Experience
  • First Year Experience
  • Transition to University Studies

Results are distributed to Divisions, Schools, Departments, Colleges and Support and Administrative units after they have been analysed and summarised by Quality Advancement. Meetings are then held to discuss the results.

More information on the history, structure and analysis of surveys can be downloaded in the Guide to Interpreting the Student and Graduate Opinion Surveys below.

Reports

Summary reports are available from Quality Advancement. Any interpretation of survey results should be done with regard to the Guide to Interpreting the Student and Graduate Opinion Surveys and the Code of Practice for the Use of Student and Graduate Opinion Survey Data, both of which can be downloaded below.

If you have any questions regarding surveys or survey results please contact the Surveys Manager.

Downloads are available in PDF format.

Survey Guidelines:

Surveys Coordination Group

Information about the Surveys Coordination Group can be found on the Surveys Coordination Group Website.

Additional Surveys

The Quality Advancement Unit runs a large number of additional institutional and research surveys on a variety of topics. Please contact qual.surveys@otago.ac.nz for additional information on institutional surveys.

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