Drew Allen, PhD
Associate Vice President,
Institutional Data Analytics – Georgetown University
Fellow, Steinhardt Institute
for Higher Education Policy – New York University
Are students still engaged? How Georgetown University
approached student survey design and analysis during the initial phase of the
pandemic.
Most colleges and
universities administer multiple surveys to students, faculty, and staff
throughout the academic year. Institutions have dedicated survey plans that
call for the collection of information about the student experience, faculty
satisfaction, cultural climate, and alumni outcomes/perceptions (among other
topics). The shift to remote instruction in March 2020 as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic meant that institutions had to act swiftly to rethink survey
plans and other data collection methods. New types of data were also needed by
leadership to quickly understand the impact of the shift and how students,
faculty, and staff were faring in this unprecedented time. This presentation
will explore the variety of approaches that Georgetown University took in
surveying students and faculty during the pandemic. First, the development of
“pulse” surveys to measure academic engagement will be discussed, followed by a
step-by-step account of how the survey data were communicated and used.
Challenges in terms of sampling, questionnaire construction, survey
nonresponse, and ethical use of data will be highlighted. Finally, we will
discuss how these new approaches and lessons learned are helping to drive
innovation in future survey efforts at the University.