A recent undergraduate survey successfully captured enough input from students for UF officials to consider giving it again.
As of Monday, more than 22,000 students have taken the Students' Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey, which gathers information on undergraduate campus life.
The results of the survey, which has been given at other universities in the past but not UF, will help the university understand undergraduate academics, program reviews, students' level of engagement and the student body's interests on campus, according to Marie Zeglen, the assistant provost and director of institutional planning and research.
The University of California Berkeley Center, which created the survey, will gather the data and provide UF with the results.
"The survey can be given three consecutive years, but we haven't decided if we will," Zeglen said. "Since the survey was given this year, we will either give it again in 2010 or 2011, but we do not know when yet."
"We have had 68.3 percent of the undergraduate student body participate in the survey, which is a great success," said Jeanna Mastrodicasa, assistant vice president for student affairs.
Although the survey was required in order to enter the football lottery, Zeglen said more than just football fans took the survey, and the breakdown will be available in the fall.
The last day to take the survey is July 31, and students can take it online at ISIS.
Zeglen said the survey lasts 20 to 25 minutes. It consists of multiple-choice scaled questions that ask the extent of the student's agreement with the question. Five questions ask the student for a written response.
The survey also asks questions about the student's political engagement, study abroad experiences, attendance to campus events and engagement in campus activities, Zeglen said.
"These questions show how a student turned into a Gator," Zeglen said.
One drawback is that students will take the survey a couple of times, which can become repetitive and redundant, he said.
"We don't have data yet, so results are still speculative, but I feel that the survey will give the data to improve departments of the university and help the campus as a whole," Zeglen said.
Elizabeth Andrews, a junior photojournalism student, said she felt the survey would help the university with undergraduate programs.
"The questions asked on the survey were in depth and made me really think about my university experience from the past year," she said.
