Laptop with visual statistics on screen.

Surveys

Surveys are a widely used tool to gather information about our students and alumni. They provide us with useful information such as the level of student satisfaction with the university's services and facilities, the employment history of our graduates and the level of student engagement at our institution.

Institutional research and planning surveys

The role of IRP in survey administration is three-fold:

  • We regularly conduct our own surveys and take part in a number of others along with partner institutions across the country.
  • Also on request, we can examine and, then, suggest how to improve questionnaires that other services use to survey students, professors, staff or alumni. If the survey content closely reflects one of the University’s central research interests, Institutional Planning and Research can offer to play a more direct role in the project.   

To request a questionnaire assessment or a student list, contact us at [email protected] or at 613-562-5954.

Use the menu on the left to access public reports on the main surveys we’re involved in at the moment. In addition, the FluidSurveys Software section describes the survey tool available to uOttawa staff, and the Winnerssection lists the winners of past draws.

MCU's Survey of Graduates

The Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) collects employment information about graduates of undergraduate programs through a survey annually conducted by all Ontario universities.  The survey is administered, in collaboration with each institution, by the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC).

Data collected through this survey is primarily used for calculating employment rates six months and two years after graduation. These rates are published in our Performance Indicator page.

The same questionnaire (PDF, 469KB) has been used over the past number of years.  Some details about survey implementation by cohort are provided below.

Employment rate

Employment rate data is collected through a survey of graduates of undergraduate degree programs conducted by all Ontario universities on an annual basis.  Graduates are asked 11 questions regarding their employment situation six months and two years after graduation.

The employment rate is the percentage of working graduates relative to the total number of graduates (employed or looking for work) in a given category.