Trends & Ideas
A Case Study in Effective Internet Surveying
by Ted DeLong
from Insights, our electronic magazine, March 2009 issue
The University of Idaho in Moscow, a land grant university founded in 1892, is notable in many respects - recognized as a leading research institution that is also consistently ranked as a ''best value'' college; home of Idaho's only law school and the state's largest library; and possessing more National Merit Scholars than all other Idaho institutions combined. It is also notable for what it lacks: a permanent home for a robust Alumni Association. AMS was called upon to help remedy this situation in the winter and spring of 2008, by conducting a feasibility study for a center dedicated to serving the over 80,000 living U of I alumni, 45 percent of whom live in the Gem State.
Planning for the Alumni Center built upon AMS's successful relationship with the University of Idaho, which included a business plan for a proposed home for the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, a National Medal of the Arts-winning event which takes place every February.
The U of I Alumni Association currently operates out of offices on the Moscow campus, but these quarters are inadequate: with no place to greet returning alumni, no meeting or teaching spaces, no facilities for food service and events, and no room for amenities such as a ticket window for arts or athletics, hall of fame, or displays on University history or the exploits of Vandals athletics.
In the past, an alumni center might have been built by the university without directly asking what the eventual users of the facility desired. We live in an age, however, of participation, feedback, and collective input, and AMS was hired in part to capitalize on our expertise with public input - in this case, the ''public'' was thousands of U of I alumni who would, hopefully, render their opinions on an alumni center and, perhaps, be inspired to come back often to visit.
In consultation with a committee of the Alumni Association, AMS developed a 25-question internet survey which explored why a respondent returned to campus or why not, attitudes about and knowledge of the Alumni Association and the Alumni Center project, and preferences for location, amenities, and funding of a new Center.
The survey went live on Friday, February 29, 2008, when an invitation to participate was emailed to over 38,000 alumni. The 1,654th and final response was collected on March 18, a response rate which was considered to be a rousing success. This survey experience confirmed the internet's value as a very cost-effective way to gather input from large populations (especially when they survey was administered in-house by AMS) and the large sample size enabled many different perspectives to be heard.
The survey data were analyzed the next month and yielded useful insights regarding funding, location and amenities. Alumni favored the idea of funding it with donations rather than with University funds. They expressed their preference for a few features in particular: close to campus, easy to find, and easy parking. A registry to find old friends, a box office, and displays of U of I history and pride were also desired by the alumni. Other features scored lower, including social event spaces, a dining room, and a bar. A coffee shop, however, was a popular option.
Using the results of the alumni survey, research into comparable universities, and site analyses, AMS made recommendations for a Center located on the campus and for specific building components, consisting of around 16,000 square feet.
Although AMS retains a healthy skepticism for untargeted internet surveys, which can be susceptible to selection bias and other flaws, our positive results with the University of Idaho alumni survey indicate that surveys like this can be useful in the ongoing effort to make sure all voices are heard when planning new facilities.
Postscript
In January 2009, the University commenced design for the building and will be retaining architects.
AMS's final presentation is posted on the University's website.
from Insights, our electronic magazine, March 2009 issue
The University of Idaho in Moscow, a land grant university founded in 1892, is notable in many respects - recognized as a leading research institution that is also consistently ranked as a ''best value'' college; home of Idaho's only law school and the state's largest library; and possessing more National Merit Scholars than all other Idaho institutions combined. It is also notable for what it lacks: a permanent home for a robust Alumni Association. AMS was called upon to help remedy this situation in the winter and spring of 2008, by conducting a feasibility study for a center dedicated to serving the over 80,000 living U of I alumni, 45 percent of whom live in the Gem State.
Planning for the Alumni Center built upon AMS's successful relationship with the University of Idaho, which included a business plan for a proposed home for the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, a National Medal of the Arts-winning event which takes place every February.
The U of I Alumni Association currently operates out of offices on the Moscow campus, but these quarters are inadequate: with no place to greet returning alumni, no meeting or teaching spaces, no facilities for food service and events, and no room for amenities such as a ticket window for arts or athletics, hall of fame, or displays on University history or the exploits of Vandals athletics.
In the past, an alumni center might have been built by the university without directly asking what the eventual users of the facility desired. We live in an age, however, of participation, feedback, and collective input, and AMS was hired in part to capitalize on our expertise with public input - in this case, the ''public'' was thousands of U of I alumni who would, hopefully, render their opinions on an alumni center and, perhaps, be inspired to come back often to visit.
In consultation with a committee of the Alumni Association, AMS developed a 25-question internet survey which explored why a respondent returned to campus or why not, attitudes about and knowledge of the Alumni Association and the Alumni Center project, and preferences for location, amenities, and funding of a new Center.
The survey went live on Friday, February 29, 2008, when an invitation to participate was emailed to over 38,000 alumni. The 1,654th and final response was collected on March 18, a response rate which was considered to be a rousing success. This survey experience confirmed the internet's value as a very cost-effective way to gather input from large populations (especially when they survey was administered in-house by AMS) and the large sample size enabled many different perspectives to be heard.
The survey data were analyzed the next month and yielded useful insights regarding funding, location and amenities. Alumni favored the idea of funding it with donations rather than with University funds. They expressed their preference for a few features in particular: close to campus, easy to find, and easy parking. A registry to find old friends, a box office, and displays of U of I history and pride were also desired by the alumni. Other features scored lower, including social event spaces, a dining room, and a bar. A coffee shop, however, was a popular option.
Using the results of the alumni survey, research into comparable universities, and site analyses, AMS made recommendations for a Center located on the campus and for specific building components, consisting of around 16,000 square feet.
Although AMS retains a healthy skepticism for untargeted internet surveys, which can be susceptible to selection bias and other flaws, our positive results with the University of Idaho alumni survey indicate that surveys like this can be useful in the ongoing effort to make sure all voices are heard when planning new facilities.
Postscript
In January 2009, the University commenced design for the building and will be retaining architects.
AMS's final presentation is posted on the University's website.