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Student Life Programs And Services - St. George Campus

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Assessment Projects


Current Projects

The following institutional assessment projects are planned for the 2010/2011 academic year:

Orientation Benchmarking Survey
Date: November 2010
Population: First-year, first-entry undergraduate students
Tri-Campus: Yes
Contact: Melinda Scott, Office of Student Life

i-Grad Survey
Date: November 19th, 2010 - December 12th, 2010
Population: International Graduate Students
Contact: Miranda Cheng, Centre for International Expereince

National Survey of Student Engagement
Date: January 2011 - March 2011
Population: First-year and fourth-year undergraduate students
Tri-campus: Yes
Contact: Melinda Scott, Office of Student Life

Past Projects

 

The Orientation Benchmarking Survey:

Conducted in 2004, 2006 and again in 2008, this tri-campus survey of first year undergraduate students addresses many aspects of the transition experience. Results of this survey helped us to develop Welcome Week, designed specifically for the almost half of all undergraduate students, who, for a variety of reasons, tell us they are unable to attend the full Orientation week program.

Summary of the results of the 2008 Orientation Benchmarking Survey.

For information on the Orientation Benchmarking Survey, contact Melinda Scott.

The National Survey of Student Engagement:

The University of Toronto's major undergraduate (first-entry) survey on the student experience is administered  under the direction of the Vice-Provost, Students and in partnership with the Office of Planning & Budget. 
  • A summary of the 2004, 2006 and 2008 results is available at the Provost's website.
  • For presentations and more information about U of T's participation in NSSE, contact Melinda Scott, Assistant Director, Office of Student Life.
  • Information about the survey design and background information is available through the NSSE head office at Indiana University, Bloomington. 

Cultural Diversity Experiences Project:

Conducted as part of the requirements for an OISE-UT masters, this study looks at the amount and quality of interaction between students of different races, ethnicities, religions and political opinions at U of T. Through an on-line questionnaire and a series of focus groups, the researcher, Deanne Fisher, isolated factors that appear to promote and to stifle intercultural interaction. For more information, contact Deanne Fisher.

Residence Life Staff Self-Assessment:

The 160 student Dons and RAs working in the St. George Campus residence system were invited to complete a pre-training and post-training assessment of their skills, knowledge and attitudes on a variety of job-relevant topics. The results are shared with the steering committee that plans U of T's annual training program for residence life staff. For more information, contact Melinda Scott.

Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership:

In 2009, the University of Toronto became the first Canadian institution to participate in the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL).  The study is one of the largest institutional surveys on leadership development, with
over 100 institutions taking part. The study’s purpose is to enhance our knowledge of student leadership development, as well as to understand the influence of higher education on the development of leadership capacities.

The survey was administered by the Office of Student Life and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering (the Leaders of Tomorrow Program). In its first year, over 6000 students at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering as well as at New College participated in the study. For more information, contact Ian Simmie.

Recent Graduate Employment Status Survey:

University of Toronto recent graduates from the previous Fall and Spring convocations who are registered with the Career Centres on all 3 campuses are asked each March to complete a short multiple-choice questionnaire either online or through a telephone interview about their current employment status and use of Career Centre services. Results are instrumental in assisting Career Centres examine and respond to students' career development and employment needs. 

For information on the survey results by campus, contact Lynn Brownlie, 416-946-7392 (St. George); Joan McCurdy Myers, 905-828-5412 (UTM); & Ruth Louden,  416-287-7559 (UTSC).


Student Experience Focus Groups

Recognizing the need for a deeper understanding of some of the priority issues highlighted in surveys such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Globe & Mail Campus Survey and the ways in which the University could respond, Vice-Provost, Students Jill Matus initiated a tri-campus, qualitative assessment project to drill down into some areas of the undergraduate student experience that seem to warrant further exploration.

This project was led by the Office of Student Life (St. George), in collaboration with the Department of Student Life at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Office of Student Affairs at the University of Toronto Mississauga and with the help of over 50 staff and faculty in the of 38 focus groups over three campuses and in 8 different faculties, involving 367 students.

A copy of the full report "In Their Own Words: Understanding the Undergraduate Experience at the University of Toronto" is available on the Vice-Provost, Students website.

For more information please contact Melinda Scott.