Graduate College Launches gradSERU Survey; Grad Students Encouraged to Participate
In an effort to learn more about the graduate student experience at OU, the Graduate College on the Norman campus has launched gradSERU, the Graduate Student Experience in the Research University Survey.
Sent to all master’s and doctoral students in Norman-based programs, including the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, OU Online and Tulsa students (Law is not included), the survey will evaluate the experiences of OU graduate students in many areas, including quality of advising and academic training, financial challenges, wellness, and whether they feel supported and experience a sense of belonging in their academic unit.
“This is a historic university-wide effort to learn more about what graduate students are experiencing so that we can build on our strengths and make improvements where needed,” said Sherri Irvin, senior associate dean of the Graduate College. “We know that some graduate students have extremely positive experiences as OU, while others have difficult experiences and don’t always know where to turn.”
Students can access the survey by logging in at link.ou.edu/seru.
Since the 25- to 30-minute survey opened on April 6, approximately 9% of OU graduate students have completed it. High response rates are crucial, and graduate students are strongly encouraged to complete the anonymous survey as soon as possible.
“Graduate students should complete the survey to ensure that their voices are heard and that OU is held accountable to provide the best possible support for their success,” Irvin said. “The more data we have, the better our ability to make the case for change where it is needed. We understand graduate students are extremely busy, but we want them to know that we care about them and will use the information they provide effectively to advocate for change.”
The survey, administered by the University of Minnesota on behalf of the SERU Consortium, will allow the Graduate College to compare the experiences of OU graduate students with those of over a dozen SERU Consortium members, including Big 12 and Association of American University public institutions.
“Survey results will be used to identify academic units where students report that things are going well so we can try to learn from them and expand those practices across OU,” Irvin said. “We will also identify academic units where students are reporting particular challenges so that we can work with the leadership of the unit to find concrete solutions to address those problems. The results will also help us to identify where broader institutional investment or resources are needed, such as mental health support or need-based financial aid.”
For more information, contact Graduate College Senior Associate Dean Sherri Irvin at sirvin@ou.edu.
By Mackenzie Scheer
Article Published: Wednesday, April 21, 2021