03-15.00 – Policy on University Surveys

  1. Policy Statement:

    University Surveys are a useful method of collecting data from University community, including students, faculty, and staff, and are recognized as an important means for enhancing institutional effectiveness, encouraging evidence-based research practices, and facilitating scholarship. The purpose of this policy is to encourage coordinated efforts and best practices in survey research to produce quality data, create opportunities for cross-collaboration and information-sharing, and promote best practices in information security and data privacy.

  2. Applicability

    This policy shall apply to any University Survey (as further defined herein) of Campus Constituents (as defined herein).

    For the purpose of this Policy, the following shall not be considered to fall under the definition of University Survey and shall not be subject to the provisions of this Policy, even if administered utilizing designated survey software:

    1. university course evaluations;
    2. information collection that is required for university employment, enrollment, or admissions;
    3. votes or ballots;
    4. surveys sent from a campus organization, group, department, office or division to its members;
    5. surveys sent to members of a voluntary distribution listing;
    6. surveys soliciting feedback about a campus event.

  3. Definitions:

    1. “Campus constituent” shall mean any prospective, current, or former student, or any current university faculty, staff, or administrator at Towson University.
    2. “University Survey” is defined as the gathering of information from campus constituents through questionnaires, interviews, and similar methods to make inferences about a population, program, or activity, which is:
      1. Administered to 250 or more prospective, current, or former students; or
      2. Administered to 100 or more faculty, staff, or administrators; or
      3. Administered to a random selection from a population of campus constituents.

    3. “Survey Sponsor” means the party seeking to conduct the University Survey.

    4. “Institutional Review Board” (“IRB”) is the administrative body responsible for assuring ethical conduct and protection of human subjects in research in accordance with federal regulations.

    5. “FERPA” is the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

    6. “Personally Identifiable Information” (“PII”) shall mean any information that can be used to distinguish or trace the identity of an individual either directly (e.g., name, address, social security number, telephone number, email address, etc.) or indirectly (e.g., a combination of gender, race, birth date, major, class level, geographic indicators, and other variables), including other information that, alone or in combination, is linked or linkable to a specific individual that would allow a reasonable person in the school community, who does not have personal knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to identify the individual with reasonable certainty.

    7. “Committee” shall mean the Survey Strategy Committee.

  4. Responsible Executive and Office:

    Responsible Executive: Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

    Responsible Office: Office of the Provost

  5. Entities Affected by this Policy:

    All faculty, staff, administrators, and all prospective, current, and former students

  6. Procedures:

    1. Committee. A Committee shall be established to promote survey efficiency, best practices, and to identify opportunities for consolidation where appropriate. The Committee shall consist of representatives from various institutional units responsible for overseeing the process, and shall be appointed by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and co-chaired by representatives from the Office of Institutional Research and the Division of Student Affairs.
    2. Oversight and Approval of University Surveys. The Office of Institutional Research shall provide University Survey staffing and shall be the centralized repository and clearinghouse of University Surveys. All University Surveys shall require review and approval by the Committee prior to being conducted. University surveys meeting the regulatory definition of human subjects research be reviewed and approved by IRB prior to initiation of the research. If a proposed University Survey requires IRB review and approval, the Committee shall inform the Survey Sponsor as the University Survey is unable to be administered until it has received IRB review and approval.
    3. Privacy and Confidentiality of University Survey Data. All University Survey data shall be held in accordance with all applicable University policies and procedures, including information technology and data security policies, as well as applicable laws and regulations relating to PII (including, but not limited to, FERPA).
    4. Administration of University Surveys. All requests for university surveys shall be routed through the Office of Institutional Research for review and evaluation by the Committee in accordance with the Procedures and Guidelines for University Surveys.

Related Policies:

USM Policy IV-2.10: Human Subjects of Research (PDF)

TU Policy 03-06.30 – Policy and Procedures on the Disclosure of Student Education Records

TU Policy 06-21.00 – Policy for Providing Reasonable Accommodations to Individuals with Disabilities

TU Policy 10-01.01 – Information Technology Security Policy TU Policy 10-01.02 – Acceptable Use Policy

TU Policy 10-05.00 – Data Governance Policy

TU Policy 06-01.00: Policy Prohibiting Discrimination

Approval Date: 04/19/23

Effective Date: 04/19/23

Approved By: President’s Cabinet

How to Request the Policy PDF

This online version of the policy may include updated links and names of departments. To request a PDF of the original, signed version of this policy, email the Office of the General Counsel, .