UA strives for success

By Grant Morgan, News Editor

Among the many surveys given to students at the end of the school year, one stands out.

It is a national survey that aims to assess students’ undergraduate experience. Lee Gill, associate vice president for Inclusion and Equity and UA’s Chief Diversity Officer, sent students a link to the survey near the beginning of this week, which takes about 30 minutes to complete.

The survey addresses all facets of the undergraduate experience, including academics; interactions among peers and faculty; and campus involvement, environment, and services.

“This diverse learning survey will allow us to take a snapshot of the university’s culture, resulting in data for future recommendations and areas of change,” Gill wrote in an email response.

With so many changes that have happened, are happening, or will happen at UA, Gill expects reliable feedback from the survey.

“We can easily see recommendations for increased connections between our domestic and international students. More global competencies!” Gill wrote.

Surveys issued by UA are frequent; some students might get tired of seeing their inbox flooded with them. Sabrina Andrews, director of UA’s Institutional Research, explained why this one is important.

“We are always striving to make the University better…That’s why students have seen so many surveys lately,” Andrews wrote. “This latest survey is very important. It asks questions that will help us understand how inclusive we are.”

“…student’s responses help to drive change and improvements,” Gill wrote. “Here at The University of Akron we want to provide an environment that is welcoming and values all. These survey results will help develop a feedback loop so that we can continue that process.”

UA doesn’t do this survey yearly; however, it is a consideration for the future.