A CUTE administration has options that can help you to increase faculty participation and get the most out of your data and results. Customization includes a variety of options within two broad categories: recruitment messages and population file. Details about each of these customization options follow.
Customizing CUTE
Recruitment Messages
CUTE offers institutions two different options for sending recruitment messages to instructional staff. Institutions can send their own messages, or institutions can elect to have CUTE staff send recruitment messages. Institutions must provide CUTE staff with a population file of instructional staff as part of either option.
Institutions Sending Their Own Recruitment Messages
Institutions who choose to send their own recruitment messages will be able to send customized messages using their own internal emailing systems. CUTE staff will still require that institutions upload a population file so that they can create customized links to track faculty responses. Although this option has the benefit of internal email systems, your choice of delivery date and time, and your own customized messages, CUTE staff will be unable to provide institutions with information about who has responded to the survey given our promise of confidentiality to respondents. This will likely result in faculty continuing to receive messages despite having already responded to the survey. The survey questionnaire, however, will not allow for duplicate entries from a single personalized link.
Having CUTE Staff Send Recruitment Messages
Participating institutions have the opportunity to have recruitment messages delivered by FSSE. This option comes with two customized details: a customized signatory on the invitation message and a choice from a selection of recruitment schedules.
We also advise that institutions send a pre-survey announcement. Unlike all other contacts, the Pre-Survey Announcement is sent directly to instructional staff by participating institutions. We recommend that this message be sent one week before the survey officially launches.
Subject: Give us feedback on your teaching environment!
Dear [Prefix/Firstname] [Lastname]:
We are requesting that instructors from [your institution], and colleagues across the country, provide their feedback on a questionnaire about their teaching environment, needs, and supports. We want to hear about the ways that the processes and policies, people, and resources at [your institution] contribute to your teaching environment and ability to do and receive recognition for your best teaching.
The survey is administered in partnership with [your institution] and the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University and will take about 15 minutes to finish. Follow this [link] to the survey, or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
[link]
The link above is unique to you. Please do not pass on this email to anyone else.
Your participation is voluntary, though we do hope you will respond. Should you have any questions about this project, we encourage you to visit the project website or contact cutesurv@iu.edu.
Thank you for considering this important request. Results from this project will provide [your institution] with actionable information to improve the teaching environment at [your institution] as well as inform the field of higher education about the current teaching climates and cultures that faculty experience.
Sincerely,
[Campus signatory]
Subject: Reminder to give feedback on your teaching environment!
Dear [Prefix/Firstname] [Lastname]:
You were recently sent an email inviting you to respond to a questionnaire about your teaching environment at [your institution]. The information you and others at [your institution] provide will help identify areas of strength and improvement that I hope will lead to constructive discussions related to your teaching environment and ability to do and receive recognition for your best teaching.
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes and can be found at this [link].
The link above is unique to you. Please do not pass on this email to anyone else.
Your participation is voluntary, though I hope you will respond. Should you have any questions about this project, please visit the project website or contact cutesurv@iu.edu.
Thanks again for considering this request!
Sincerely,
Allison BrckaLorenz, PhD
Director of the College + University Teaching Environment Survey
Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University
Subject: Still time to give feedback on your teaching environment!
Dear [Prefix/Firstname] [Lastname]:
There is still time for you to respond to a questionnaire about your teaching environment at [your institution]. I hope that you will provide input for [your institution] to identify areas of strength and improvement for your teaching environment, needs, and supports.
This survey link is unique to you so do not forward this email to others: [link].
Your participation is voluntary, though I hope you will respond. Should you have any questions about this project, please visit the project website or contact cutesurv@iu.edu.
Thanks again for considering this request!
Sincerely,
Allison BrckaLorenz, PhD
Director of the College + University Teaching Environment Survey
Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University
Subject: Last chance to give feedback on your teaching environment!
Dear [Prefix/Firstname] [Lastname]:
Over the last few weeks, you have received emails requesting that you complete a questionnaire about your teaching environment at [your institution]. I hope that you will be able to participate. This is the last message you will receive about the study.
This survey link is unique to you so do not forward this email to others: [link].
The information you and others at [your institution] give will provide [your institution] with actionable information to improve the teaching environment at [your institution] as well as inform the field of higher education about the current teaching climates and cultures that faculty experience. Your help is essential to the success of this important project.
Your participation is voluntary, though I hope you will respond. Should you have any questions about this project, please visit the project website or contact cutesurv@iu.edu.
Thanks again for considering this request!
Sincerely,
Allison BrckaLorenz, PhD
Director of the College + University Teaching Environment Survey
Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University
Preparing for CUTE Message Delivery
The sending e-mail address for messages is CUTE Survey <noreply@qualtrics-survey.com>. You should not assume that your system will let CUTE messages through! Each year, several institutions’ systems treat our e-mails as spam, which prevents them from reaching their instructional staff. A resource called Preparing for Message Delivery contains information regarding how to prepare your campus email system to receive CUTE messages. Please share that resource with the appropriate information technology staff at your institution to help ensure that CUTE e-mail messages are delivered to your instructional staff.
Population File
CUTE staff need to receive a population file of the instructional staff you wish to be surveyed regardless of the choice institutions make about recruitment messages. We strongly encourage institutions to include all of their instructional staff, but institutions are free to decide whether they want to include a random sample or specific subgroups of their faculty. If including only specific subgroups, we recommend including a grouping variable for identification of subgroups.
Although we understand the need for random sampling due to potential survey fatigue, because the CUTE project is intended to explore the experiences of and support all faculty, it is especially important that a diverse selection of faculty are included in your population file. Random samples may not allow for the voices of traditionally marginalized voices to be heard.
See our population file instructions for more details on how to construct your file.