The Strategic Planning and Initiatives (SPI) supports evidence-informed decision-making at Vancouver Island University (VIU) by providing institutional survey services and coordinating a self-serve model for faculty and staff conducting non-academic survey research.
We administer large-scale institutional surveys and help coordinate survey activities across the university. Our goal is to ensure surveys are purposeful, well-designed, and aligned with VIU’s institutional priorities.
Planning your survey
Before developing a survey, consider whether the information you need is already available or whether alternative data collection methods may be more appropriate.
Frequent survey invitations can contribute to survey fatigue, lower response rates, and reduced respondent engagement. Thoughtful planning helps minimize these impacts and supports meaningful participation.
As part of your project planning, please review the following resources:
Available Survey tools: VIU currently supports two survey tools: Microsoft Forms and SurveyMonkey. The appropriate tool depends on the complexity of your survey and your specific requirements.
Microsoft Forms: Recommended for basic surveys, polls, and general information gathering. Microsoft Forms is included with VIU's Microsoft 365 services and is generally accessible using your VIU sign-in credentials.
SurveyMonkey: Intended for more advanced or complex survey requirements that cannot be accommodated by Microsoft Forms, as well as surveys requiring specific external sharing capabilities. SurveyMonkey licenses are limited and allocated based on need.
If your survey requirements cannot be met using Microsoft Forms, you may submit a request through the SPI Helpdesk ticketing system. SPI will review your request to assess your survey needs and determine whether a SurveyMonkey license is appropriate and available.
Whenever possible, please use Microsoft Forms for basic survey needs to help ensure that the limited SurveyMonkey licenses remain available for requests requiring its advanced functionality.
VIU Survey Schedule: Review planned and approved surveys for the current academic year. The schedule helps coordinate survey activities and may influence the approval and timing of self-serve survey requests.
Survey Resources: Explore additional guidance and resources to support your survey planning and implementation.
VIU Survey Management Committee (SMC)
The Survey Management Committee (SMC) contributes to this effort by promoting sound survey practices and coordinating survey activities across the university. Visit the Survey Management Committee (SMC) page for more information about its role in survey coordination at VIU.
VIU survey schedule
We are working on 2026-2027 Survey Schedule and it will be posted here once completed. Meanwhile, If you would like more information, please contact Surveys@viu.ca.