Annual School Survey.
The School Survey is designed to take the pulse of the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) community, gather feedback about programming and resources, and identify areas of both strength and improvement for the School. The School is committed to the success of all members of our community and the School Survey aims to support this commitment to ensure we are proactive and responsive to the needs of our community. The School Survey addresses specific topics of interest, including the admissions process, advising, health and wellness, career outcomes, and community and belonging. BUSPH will engage the Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC) at Boston University School of Public Health to administer the survey in 2026. The School Survey is administered each fall and results are presented during Spring School Assemblies.
The School Survey is a collaborative effort coordinated by various units across the school. The following School Survey coordinators serve as key points of contact for the SPH community, facilitate updates to survey instruments, present survey results to the SPH community, and implement changes based on survey feedback.
Data collection for each iteration of the survey occurs in the fall (generally in October and November). Once the School Survey is complete, BEDAC cleans and analyzes the data and works with BUSPH leadership to help identify both key strengths and areas of improvement for the school.
At the conclusion of each School Survey, BEDAC provides BUSPH with reports and data files that provide them actionable information on its community.
After each round of data collection, BEDAC will prepare comprehensive reports for BUSPH that provide the survey results for each stakeholder group (e.g., students, staff, faculty, alumni, and employers/practicum supervisors), as well as broken down by key subgroups (e.g., faculty rank). These reports provide only aggregate statistics to protect respondents’ identities. In addition, BEDAC securely delivers to BUSPH a data file (with personally identifiable information removed) and appropriate documentation of our methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is sponsoring this survey?
BUSPH engaged the Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC) at Boston University School of Public Health to administer this survey. Data collection occurs annually in the fall (generally in October and November). Once the survey is complete, BEDAC cleans and analyzes the data and works with BUSPH leadership to help identify both key strengths and areas of improvement for the School. BEDAC will provide the School with a deidentified data file and comprehensive aggregated reports that provide survey results for each stakeholder group (e.g., students, staff, faculty, alumni, and employers/practicum supervisors), as well as broken down by key subgroups (e.g., faculty rank). These reports are deidentified and aggregated to protect respondents’ identities. The School will not have access to the survey or any raw, individualized data.”
Why did I receive this survey?
All individuals who are BUSPH alumni, current students, employers/practicum supervisors, faculty, and staff, will receive an invitation to complete the School Survey via email.
How can I participate in this survey?
Email invitations that include a link to participate in the School Survey are being sent by REDCap. The survey is being conducted online and is formatted for all computers and mobile devices. If you believe that you are in the study population but have not received a survey link, please email
sphsurv@bu.edu
Will my responses be kept confidential?
Yes. The survey is designed so that your individual responses will not be identified by BUSPH. Access to raw data is restricted to BEDAC only and all data are held on secure, HIPAA-compliant servers. BEDAC will review open-ended comments and redact any identifying details before they are aggregated and shared with BUSPH. Results are reported in aggregate only; any subgroup with fewer than five responses is combined to prevent identification of individuals.
What kinds of data will be collected?
Topics in this year’s survey include but are not limited to the following: the admissions process, department culture, student experiences, community and belonging, and opportunities for professional development.
Am I required to participate in this study? Is this mandatory, or can I decline?
You are not required to participate. Likewise, should you choose to participate, you may skip any questions in the survey that you do not wish to answer or stop participating at any time.
How much time will this study require?
Each individual participant will be asked to complete a web-based questionnaire requiring an estimated 10-15 minutes to complete and may be completed at their convenience, in multiple sittings if necessary.
How will the results be disseminated?
BEDAC will analyze the data and provide written reports to BUSPH leadership; these reports will contain only aggregate results and no individual data or results will be reported. After removing personal identifying information, BEDAC will provide raw data from the survey to BUSPH to enable them to further review the results to identify key strengths and areas of improvement for the school.
Who can I speak with for more information?
If you have any questions or concerns pertaining to your participation in this research study, please email
sphsurv@bu.edu.
You can also reach out to the following BUSPH school survey coordinators:
- Alumni: Kimberly Graham, Associate Director, Advancement
- Employers: Caroline O’Shea, Senior Director for Careers and Practicum
- Faculty: Meredith Brooks, Chair of the Faculty Senate
- Staff: Eva Asllani, Chair of the Staff Senate
- Students: Mary Murphy-Phillips, Assistant Dean of Students
Feedback about the Annual School Survey may be entered in the text box below.