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
Survey Customization
Beginning in 2026, CUTE now offers a customizable survey instrument. When customization opens for participating institutions, institutions will have the option to choose from amongst the available content modules to create a survey that best meets their assessment needs. If institutions want to administer the "CUTE Classic" (the same survey as they may have used in a past administration), they can do so by choosing to append all of the available content modules. See all required items and optional items on the Survey Instruments page.
If you have ideas for future content modules, please let us know!
Recruitment Messages
CUTE offers institutions two different options for sending recruitment messages to faculty. 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 faculty 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 CUTE. 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 faculty by participating institutions. We recommend that this message be sent one week before the survey officially launches.
- From: noreply@qualtrics-survey.com
- From name: College + University Teaching Environment
- Subject: Share your perspective on the faculty work environment at [Institution]
Dear [Prefix/Firstname] [Lastname]:
In partnership with the Center for Postsecondary Research, [Institution] invites you to share your perspective on your work environment, needs, and supports as a faculty member. Your perspective is important. We want to understand how the processes and policies, people, and resources at [Institution] shape your experience and your ability to do your best work.
By participating, you will help us better understand the experiences of faculty in a variety of roles and identify the conditions and supports that contribute to positive faculty experiences and outcomes. Your responses will help inform efforts at [Institution] and contribute to a broader understanding of how colleges and universities can better support faculty.
[Share your perspective: Take the survey.]
This survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. The link above is unique to you. Please do not pass on this email to anyone else.
Your participation is voluntary, and your responses will be confidential to [Institution]. What we learn from this study will be shared with participating institutions and the broader higher education community to help identify ways institutions can better support faculty success and retention.
If you have questions, please visit the project website or contact the project team.
Thank you for considering this invitation. We value your perspective and appreciate the time you take to share your experiences.
Sincerely,
[Signatory lines 1-8]
- From: noreply@qualtrics-survey.com
- From name: College + University Teaching Environment
- Subject: Please share: Your work experiences are important
Dear [Prefix/Firstname] [Lastname]:
In partnership with [Institution], we recently invited you to participate in a survey about the faculty work environment at [Institution], and we hope you’ll take a few minutes to share your perspective.
Your experience matters. Your responses will help us better understand what supports faculty in their work, where challenges may exist, and how institutions can create environments in which faculty can thrive.
[Share your perspective: Take the survey]
The link above is unique to you. Please do not pass on this email to anyone else. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. Your participation is voluntary, and your responses will be confidential to [Institution].
If you have questions, please visit the project website or contact the project team.
Thank you for your time and consideration, we hope that you’ll consider adding your voice.
Sincerely,
Allison BrckaLorenz, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Project Director
Center for Postsecondary Research
Indiana University Bloomington
- From: noreply@qualtrics-survey.com
- From name: College + University Teaching Environment
- Subject: Your perspective is still important to us
Dear [Prefix/Firstname] [Lastname]:
We’re reaching out again to invite you to share your perspective on the faculty work environment at [Institution].
Faculty experiences can vary considerably across roles, responsibilities, and career stages. Hearing from a wide range of faculty helps us develop a more complete picture of what supports faculty in their work and where greater support may be needed.
[Share your perspective: Take the survey]
The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. The link above is unique to you. Please do not pass on this email to anyone else. Participation is voluntary, and your responses will be confidential to [Institution].
If you have questions, please visit the project website or contact the project team.
Thank you for helping us better understand the faculty experience at [Institution].
Sincerely,
Allison BrckaLorenz, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Project Director
Center for Postsecondary Research
Indiana University Bloomington
- From: noreply@qualtrics-survey.com
- From name: College + University Teaching Environment
- Subject: Final reminder to share your faculty experience
Dear [Prefix/Firstname] [Lastname]:
This is a final reminder to share your perspective on the faculty work environment at [Institution].
Your perspective matters. Hearing from faculty across different roles and experiences helps provide a more complete picture of what supports faculty in their work and where opportunities for improvement may exist.
[Share your perspective: Take the survey]
The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. The link above is unique to you. Please do not pass on this email to anyone else. Participation is voluntary, and your responses will be confidential to [Institution].
If you have questions, please visit the project website or contact the project team.
Thank you for your time and for helping us better understand the faculty experience at [Institution].
Sincerely,
Allison BrckaLorenz, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Project Director
Center for Postsecondary Research
Indiana University Bloomington
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 faculty. 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 faculty.
Population File
CUTE staff need to receive a population file of the faculty you wish to be surveyed regardless of the choice institutions make about recruitment messages. We strongly encourage institutions to include all of their faculty, 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.