Survey Administration Policy and Procedures

Austin Peay State University has established protocols for the administration of surveys within the APSU community in Policy 2:062 – Survey Administration.

Survey Policy Oversight Committee (SPOC)

In addition, the university has established a Survey Policy and Oversight Committee. The Survey Policy and Oversight Committee (SPOC) is charged with reviewing the quality, content and applicability of all proposed surveys to determine if they adhere to the Survey Administration Policy (2:062) and to issue whatever time, place and manner restrictions are appropriate.

Survey administration oversight by the SPOC does not supersede the policies and procedures of the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Some surveys also require IRB approval. SPOC review is recommended prior to submission to IRB, if needed.

The SPOC is also the gatekeeper for access to the database containing contact information and provides “contact information release” guidelines to the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Decision Support and Institutional Research.

University Survey Software: Qualtrics 

APSU approved a Single Licensed Survey Provider (SLSP) as the online survey software to be used for surveys covered under this policy. APSU faculty, staff, and students, as well as researchers from other institutions, are prohibited from using any other online survey software tool when surveying the APSU community, unless the APSU faculty or staff member is participating in a collaborative survey project with faculty or staff at another institution using that other institution’s survey software. Survey Administrators are responsible for activating and distributing surveys using the SLSP.

Qualtrics is Austin Peay’s SLSP for online surveys. Qualtrics allows faculty and staff to build and distribute surveys as well as analyze responses. It is a simple-to-use web-based platform that can help APSU employees conduct survey research, evaluations, and other data collection activities. The Office of IEA will provide access to the SLSP through its website. APSU faculty, staff, and students have access to Qualtrics using their university login and password. For questions about accessing Qualtrics, contact Brandi Bickham at bickhamb@apsu.edu or (931) 221-6244.

Submitting a Survey for SPOC Review