UCT surveys

The Data Analytics for Student Success (DASS) programme provides support for institutional surveys on student and staff experience at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Surveys include, but are not limited to

  • cohort surveys, cross-sectional surveys, panels and focus groups;
  • relating to aspects such as courses, programmes, student support and student success;
  • real-time or historical reporting; and
  • repeated or on-demand surveys.

DASS provides expertise in survey design, implementation, and analysis for extensive surveys. These require professionals experienced in survey methodology and a high level of proficiency. We assist in creating effective questionnaires, selecting appropriate survey methods, and ensuring accurate data collection and analysis. Our survey reports feature detailed data visualisations and actionable recommendations for interventions.

Notable past projects include the UCT Student Access Survey (2020) and UCT Student Experience Survey (2020). These surveys were instrumental in guiding UCT's operations and providing support to students during the challenging shift to remote teaching and learning. 

SASSE and LSSE

DASS is the custodian of the South African Survey of Student Engagement (SASSE) at the University of Cape Town. SASSE gathers data from multiple universities in South Africa to enhance curriculum, campus life, and support student development.

LSSE (Lecturer Survey of Student Engagement), complementary to SASSE, captures staff perspectives on undergraduate student engagement in relation to different types of teaching practices, graduate outcomes, the quality of student interactions, and workload and allocation of time from teaching to research. LSSE is for all staff involved in teaching at undergraduate level.

Outputs

Institutional Reports compiled by UFS

  • The 2018, 2021 and 2023 SASSE and LSSE institutional reports compiled by the University of the Free State (UFS) were shared with UCT staff.  The reports include a snapshot or overview of UCT's data profile, engagement indicators, high‐impact practices, financial stress scale, topical module analysis, frequencies and statistical comparisons, respondent characteristics and comparable data of institutions who administered the survey during the same year. 

    SASSE UFS Report

Interactive Power BI Dashboards

  • Interactive Power BI dashboards for the 2023 and 2025 SASSE surveys and for the 2025 LSSE survey created by the DASS Team were shared with UCT staff. The interactive Power BI dashboards for SASSE allow UCT staff to filter each question by faculty, year of study, academic programme and demographic data. 

    SASSE 2025 Power BI Dashboard

  • The LSSE 2025 Power BI dashboard allows UCT staff to filter each question by faculty and academic rank.

    LSSE 2025 Power BI