Belonging at MacEwan Survey

The Belonging at MacEwan (BAM) survey provides students and employees with an opportunity to share their experiences. The survey asks questions about demographic identities, perceptions of belonging, equity, discrimination and knowledge of campus resources. For employees, there are also questions about engagement relating to the workplace.

MacEwan is conducting this survey to better understand the diversity of our campus community and the experiences of students and employees. By gathering insights about demographics, belonging, engagement and experiences of discrimination, we can identify what’s working well and where barriers remain. It also allows MacEwan to monitor its progress on institutional targets, such as those in the Teaching Greatness Strategic Vision Dashboard.

It is common practice for universities to carry out this type of survey. Collecting this information is considered a best practice in higher education, helping institutions ensure they are fostering equitable, inclusive and welcoming environments for all members of their communities.

We estimate that the survey will take 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

The survey is open to all active MacEwan University employees (faculty and staff) and students.

While we are hoping that most will choose to complete the survey, participation is voluntary. You can choose not to participate, or you may skip any question you do not want to answer.

Yes. While certain details from your profile (such as faculty, role or other group information) will be linked to your survey responses to help us understand different perspectives, your responses will not be stored in your profile or anywhere that could personally identify you.

Only authorized data analysts in Institutional Analysis and Planning will be able to see individual results, and none are included in the results.

To further protect confidentiality, any demographic information representing fewer than 20 respondents will not be reported.

The Office of Human Rights led the development of the questions, with support from Human Resources and Institutional Analysis and Planning. Groups consulted include:

• Student Affairs
• MacEwan International
• Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD)
• kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre
• MacEwan Anti-Violence Education Network (MAVEN) volunteers
• Champions of Diversity and Equity (C.O.D.E.) program participants
• Select Students’ Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) executive

It is important that when people take the time to share their experiences, we share back information collected with the campus community. The results will be shared in various ways:

• Some demographic information will be used to support the data measurements in the Teaching Greatness Strategic Vision 2030 Dashboard.
• A narrative report that includes participation statistics, non-identifiable demographic data, points of interest, including trends, areas of strength and areas for growth, will be posted on the Office of Human Rights website.
• Tailored narrative reports will be produced for each faculty or administrative area, including participation statistics, areas of strength and growth and notable trends.
• Senior Leadership will receive detailed information while maintaining confidentiality requirements.

Once the survey closes, Institutional Analysis and Planning and the Office of Human Rights will begin analyzing the results. We anticipate sharing the results in 2026.

Some of the questions in the Belonging at MacEwan survey touch on experiences of discrimination, which may feel difficult to reflect on. If you find yourself needing care or someone to talk to, support is available:

Students:

• Wellness and Psychological Services offers free, professional, confidential counselling to students enrolled in one or more credit courses.
• Peer Support offers students an opportunity to talk to other students about personal, social or academic concerns.
• The Office of Sexual Violence Prevention, Education, and Response is available to provide support and guidance on matters related to experiences of sexual violence.

Employees:

You can find a wide range of helpful resources on the Well-Being page by logging in to the portal.

Well-being at MacEwan

The survey is screen reader compatible and designed to work on mobile devices. If you are having trouble accessing the survey, please contact humanrights@macewan.ca.

We ask about different aspects of identity to better understand the diversity of our campus community. Collecting demographic information helps us see who makes up our community and allows us to look at responses through an intersectional lens. This gives us insight into where barriers may exist so we can take meaningful steps toward a more inclusive and supportive environment.

And to be clear—when we say inclusive, we mean everyone, no matter your race, gender or any other identity factor.

We recognize that language is deeply personal and evolves over time. We took care to use respectful terminology and to reflect a wide range of identities and backgrounds in all the demographic questions. However, we understand that not everyone may see themselves fully represented in the available response options. If a category doesn’t reflect your identity, you are welcome to skip the question or use the “self-describe” option.

For the question on race, we aligned the possible responses with those used by Statistics Canada. This will allow us to benchmark against that data. However, we recognize the limitations in the Statistics Canada options and we have added options meant to be more equitable and inclusive.

You are welcome to contact humanrights@macewan.ca with any feedback.

Anyone who completes the survey (and if you skip a few questions, you’re still eligible) is automatically entered in a draw for prizes!

Students can win:

• One of three $100 Visa gift cards, or
• One of five $50 MacEwan Eats gift cards, or
• One of five $50 MacEwan Bookstore gift cards

Employees can win:

• One of two $100 Visa gift cards, or
• One of ten $25 gift cards for campus vendors, or
• One $50 MacEwan Eats gift card