Administrative Quality Satisfaction Survey

UW-Madison relies on many administrative services to support our academic and research mission. 

The Administrative Quality Satisfaction Survey (AQSS) asks participants to provide important insights about their experience with these services. Questions relate to administrative activities at both the campus (such as the Office of Human Resources) and local level (such as human resources in your unit).

Survey results will be used to assess and improve overall satisfaction with UW-Madison’s administrative services. Improvements could include investments in resources, staffing, and employee training and development. Survey results will also serve as benchmarking tools for the Administrative Transformation Program The survey is not being used to evaluate budgets or employee performance.

The next survey will be open in 2024. 

About the Survey

The survey will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, Tibetan, and Nepali.

The survey is a mix of open-ended response questions and questions that ask participants to rate their levels of satisfaction on a given scale.

10-15 minutes for the rating portion; more time may be required depending on the level of detail provided in the open-ended responses.

Participants do not need to complete the survey all at once. They can return to the survey by clicking the link provided in the original email.

The survey asks participants to reflect on their experience with eight categories of administrative services:

  • Communications
  • Facilities
  • Finance
  • General Administration
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • Research Administration
  • Student Services

UW-Madison has partnered with a third-party organization called HelioCampus to distribute the survey and keep survey responses confidential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the Administrative Quality Satisfaction Survey.

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How will the survey be delivered?

You will receive a unique link via email. It will come from Provost Scholz & VCFA Cramer. It is sent from our partners at HelioCampus to keep your responses confidential.

Is the survey mobile-friendly?

You can take the survey on your mobile or tablet device but we recommend using a desktop computer or laptop due to the length of the survey and the opportunity to provide written feedback.

If you don’t have access to a computer, laptops and computer stations will be available for you to use. You can also visit one of the campus InfoLab locations to take the survey.

Who is able to take the survey?

The survey is open to all faculty, staff, postdoctoral, and graduate assistant employees.

What do I do if I have not received my survey link yet?

The survey link was sent out on February 3. Please check your junk and “other” email folders to ensure it did not get filtered out of your inbox.

If you do not find the email, please contact adminqualitysurvey@vc.wisc.edu.

How will survey results be used?

Survey results will primarily be used to assess and improve overall satisfaction with UW-Madison’s administrative services.

Improvements could include investments in resources, staffing, and employee training and development. Survey results will also serve as benchmarking tools for the Administrative Transformation Program.

The survey is not being used for evaluation of budgets or employee performance.

What if I can't finish the survey all at once?

If you cannot finish the survey all at once, you may return to it later. You will exit the survey when needed and use the link in your email to start the survey again.

I can no longer access my unique survey link. Why does it say that my survey has already been completed even though I did not complete it?

This can happen if you forward your email survey and the recipient uses your unique link to complete the survey. If this has happened to you, please contact adminqualitysurvey@vc.wisc.edu to request a new link.

Will the survey be available in multiple languages?

Yes, the survey will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, Tibetan, and Nepali.

I don't use a computer as part of my regular job. Can I still participate in the survey?

Yes. If you don’t have access to a computer, laptops and computer stations will be available for you to use. You can also visit one of the campus InfoLab locations to take the survey.

Please contact your supervisor or human resources representative if you have additional questions.

What is the difference between "University staff" and "all other staff" on the survey?

The first screen will ask you to select your employee status or classification.

The options are faculty, instructional staff, research staff, postdoctoral and graduate assistant employees, all other University staff, and all other staff. This question refers to your employment category (or appointment type) at UW-Madison.

For example, Academic Staff who do not fall into the other classification categories would select “All other staff”.

For more information, please review this page on the Office of Human Resources website.

What is the difference between campus and local units?

Campus-level units serve the broader university. The Office of Human Resources and Madison Budget Office are considered campus-level units.

Local units serve the unit in which they immediately reside. The human resources team in the School of Business and the finance & budget team in Recreation & Wellbeing are both local units.

Will the survey be given again?

Yes, the survey is expected to be conducted every other year. The next survey will be in 2024.

What is HelioCampus?

UW-Madison joined the Academic Benchmarking Consortium (ABC –Insights) in 2017. The consortium consists of a growing number  of universities who share anonymized wage and staffing data for comparison within and between similar institutions.

There are currently 70 member institutions, including Ohio State, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. HelioCampus acquired ABC-Insights in 2020. Currently, UW-Madison has benchmark data for fiscal years 2014 –2020.

Additional Support

If you need help or additional support, including accessibility questions, please contact adminqualitysurvey@vc.wisc.edu

For technical issues, please reach out to qualitysatisfactionsurvey@heliocampus.com.