STUDENT SURVEY DESIGNED TO ENHANCE SUMMER TERM PROGRAMS

AUBURN – Auburn University students soon will be asked to participate in an on-line survey to provide feedback about the university's summer programs.

The five-question survey, commissioned by the Office of the Provost, was designed and is being administered by the Office of Planning and Analysis.

"The objective of the survey is to obtain information to help us ensure that we maintain a strong summer program–particularly after we make the transition to the semester system," said Christine Curtis, coordinator of AU's semester transition.

Students will receive an e-mail announcement about the survey. The e-mail will contain a hot link that takes the student directly to the web-based survey form, explained Dan Rosenthal, associate director of the Office of Planning and Analysis.

"We are asking all students–including seniors–to respond," Rosenthal said. "It is important that we obtain information from students at all class levels."

Historically, summer terms at semester institutions are not as dynamic as the fall and spring semesters, according to Curtis. Auburn, however, has traditionally provided a robust summer program and is striving to continue that tradition under the semester system.

"A strong summer term is academically important and vital among many degree programs and for Auburn's co-op program," Curtis said. "This also is an important time for many faculty, who either teach or use the term to conduct research. A strong summer program also is an attractive faculty recruiting tool."

Requiring only a few minutes to complete, the survey asks students for information about credit hour loads, features that are attractive and unattractive about the summer term, class level, program of study and previous summer attendance.

"We are seeking to obtain information about our summer term under the quarter system as well as our semester summer term," Curtis added. "Consequently, this type of summer term survey probably will become a staple among the mechanisms that we use at Auburn to enhance our summer programs."

Students should receive the e-mail announcement about the survey during the months of April and May.

April'00:au-summer survey

CONTACT: Curtis, 4-4784;
Rosenthal, 4-4765