Include all instructional staff (faculty, instructors, graduate students who teach, etc.) records on a single worksheet; also, ensure that instructional staff records are on the first worksheet (i.e., check for hidden worksheets before uploading your file). The following table provides additional details about the CUTE Population File data fields.
CUTE Population File Instructions
Institutions are required to provide a list of instructional staff (faculty, instructors, graduate students who teach, etc.) to be surveyed. All instructional staff from the list will be invited to participate.
Institutions have the option to choose which instructional staff they would like to survey. See below for information on how your population file determines instructional staff salutations in CUTE recruitment messages.
Population files require a first name or prefix, last names, and email addresses of your instructional staff. Population file information should be provided in Excel.
Please use only one worksheet. Format your population file as an Excel spreadsheet using the column headers and naming conventions as explained below, and saving in .xls or .xlsx file format. Do not email files containing faculty records to CUTE staff; any files sent by email will be immediately deleted. Upload your completed file using the QuestionPro link provided to you via email.
The exact due date for population file submissions slightly changes every year, but generally population files are due mid-January.
*Please note that we cannot make population file changes once an administration is underway, except in extreme administration-affecting situations. In those circumstances, changes to population files will result in additional fees and a potential delay of administration.
CUTE Population File Creation
| Field Name | Field Information |
|---|---|
| PrefixFirst |
|
LastName |
|
| |
| Group (optional) |
|
Salutation in CUTE Recruitment Messages
The way in which your instructional staff are addressed in CUTE recruitment messages (if messages are sent by CUTE staff) is based on the information you submit in your population file. CUTE recommends one of two options for your salutation:
- Dear Prefix LastName or
- Dear FirstName LastName
If you choose to include information in the Prefix column of your population file, we will address your faculty using the first salutation option above.
Why is this important?
CUTE encourages you to be thoughtful about the names and prefixes included in your population file. For example, have you considered how to include preferred names rather than given names? Are you certain that the prefix information you have is accurate for your instructional staff population? If you have concerns about addressing your instructional staff based on the data you have available, please email us to discuss your options.
Frequently Asked Group Variable Questions
The following questions are a resource for the optional group variable. If you have additional questions at any time, please contact the CUTE Team.
Yes, you may include a group variable in your population file. However, there is one case in which your group variable data will not be returned to you: if it can be used to identify individual instructional staff (faculty, instructors, etc.) responses. To ensure instructional staff anonymity, the grouping variable is reviewed at the time of submission to determine if a sizable proportion of instructional staff respondents are represented in each category. If your grouping variable does not protect instructional staff anonymity, the CUTE Team will contact you to discuss options for returning your grouping variable.
Because faculty identities must remain confidential to their institutions, any personally identifying information cannot be contained in a grouping variable (name, ID number, etc.).
The decision regarding what group to include is left to the institution and should be used to conduct analyses specific to the institution. The following are examples of grouping variables that may work well:
- Participation in professional development opportunities
- Attendance at events offered by the campus teaching and learning center
- Campus on which an instructional staff member teaches (for multi-campus institutions)
- Participation in special teaching and learning programs or instructional staff learning communities
A group variable allows institutions to conduct analyses specific to their institution. For example, some schools have opted to use their group variable to disaggregate instructional staff responses from multiple campuses. Institutions that submit a group variable should pick one that will help them produce results valuable to the institution but will not identify individual faculty.
Population File Submission
To submit your population file, upload via the QuestionPro link provided to you in email.
To ensure the population file is complete and accurate, please check the following before you submit:
1. File Format
Are you including all the records in one Excel worksheet? Have you removed any hidden worksheets on the Excel document? Have you saved in .xls or .xlsx format?
2. Data Fields
Are all required data fields included? At a minimum, we need the following:
- Prefix or first name
- Last name
- Instructional staff email address
3. Duplicates
Please check for duplicates before uploading your file!