BE Board:Annual survey planning

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2006 Survey Planning

Please edit the 2006 Draft Survey, which has color-coded changes from the 2005 version.

For further reference: 2005 Survey Questions

The annual survey is a BE board initiative to ascertain student opinions, concerns and interests. The information is used to plan social and academic events, compile the overall opinion of the students when the department or the visiting committee requests feedback, and as a a long term resource to see how the department improves and changes over time. As such, the survey normally undergoes an annual update to include questions on pertinent issues and remove other items which may have become irrelevant. It is important to note that student feedback on board activities or the department are encouraged anytime of year and can be submitted anonymously to the board through the an online form.

Additional topics we might consider adding to the survey

1. Any new initiatives students would like to start (New Event fund amount?)
   • What would you do for BE with $100? $500?
2. Understanding of new BE board site, wiki format and open contributions
   • Currently the question is: [8.1.4] I have used the BE Board website.
   • Have you visited the BE Board site in the last 6 months?
   • Did you know the BE Board site is a wiki that can be edited by visitors?
   • Have you edited your BE student directory page?
3. Newsletter interest
   • Did you read/see the one-page newsletter that came out last year?
   • Did the newsletter have new or useful information for you?
4. Alumni/recent graduates
   • Would you like the BE Board to keep a database of alumni contact information?
   • Would you like to see recent graduates speak about their current jobs/life after BE? (There are the IAP seminars, but these haven't been necessarily recent graduates)?
5. Living on/off campus and hang out with MIT/non-MIT people instead of questions about interacting with people in X,Y,Z...
6. Change event questions to "If ___ were cancelled, I would be on a scale 1-5, not caring-heartbroken"

Questions we might consider removing from the survey

1. Tenure process (irrelevant)
   • [4.5.1] I have a good understanding of the procedure by which professors in BE become tenured.
   • [4.5.2] I feel that student feedback should be factored into BE tenure decisions.
2. Student directory 6.7.1 - 6.7.x
3. Change to a question about having 526 on non-seminar weeks. [6.5.1] I prefer the BE.526 social hour at the Muddy Charles Pub to the “cookie hours” that used to be held prior to the BE Thursday Seminars.
4. Change to present tense ("effectively addresses"). [7.3.2] I feel that BE has effectively addressed issues related to diversity.
5. Combine into one question to gauge interest in recruiting. [7.2.1] I am aware of the BE Diversity recruiting trips. [7.2.2] I would be interested in going on one of these trips. (1=yes,2=no)
6. 5. UNDERGRADUATE BE MAJOR
   • Still relevant: [5.1.1] I think that two terms of required TA service is reasonable for a graduate student in a full department. [5.1.2] I would be willing to serve as an associate advisor for my professor's undergraduate advisees without financial incentive. [5.1.3] A stipend for TA service beyond the requirement would be enough incentive for me to TA as many times as necessary.
   • I think the rest are mostly irrelevant now, except for maybe a question about interaction between undergrad and grad programs. Sean 12:42, 24 August 2006 (EDT)
     • [5.2.1] I am concerned about what might happen to the availability of my advisor and committee members if they take on extra undergraduate advisees and teaching requirements.
     • [5.3.1] I see a BE undergrad program as a great opportunity for my own education.
     • [5.3.2] I would be interested in hearing about the development and content of new BE undergraduate courses and how they fit into the overall curriculum.
     • [5.3.3] I think it would be a valuable educational experience for graduate students to play a more active role in developing the undergraduate curriculum.
     • [5.3.com] If so, what suggestions do you have for such interactions?
     • [5.4.1] BE has enough faculty to become a full department.
     • [5.4.2] BE has enough facilities (space) to become a full department.
7. Diversity in BE (Nancy 11:25, 16 September 2006)
   • I updated the whole Diversity section