ABSTRACT
Four developments in recent years have led to an increase in academic settings in the use of surveys to gather information related to diverse areas of interest (Gansemer-Topf & Wohlgemuth, 2009; Schuh, 2009). These developments include:
1. the need to investigate and provide evidence related to student achievement of defi ned learning outcomes;
2. the expansion of outcomes-driven investigations in higher education to areas outside of academic affairs, such as student affairs and institutional support services;
3. the overall focus on data-driven/evidence-based decision making, and the need for transparency; and
4. the availability of a number of easily accessible and user-friendly on-line survey tools.
