Student Well-being Institutional Support Survey (SWISS)

Developed from an extensive review of the literature, the Student Well-being Institutional Support Survey (SWISS) is designed to capture student perceptions of how well their institutions support various aspects of their well-being. The SWISS does not measure individual student well-being, but rather, gives institutions actionable information at the campus level.

Why should institutions measure their support of student well-being?

Increased student well-being leads to positive outcomes for institutions. Research has shown that:

  • Students who sleep more (Cresswell, Tumminia, Price, Sefidgar, Cohen, Ren, … & Lovet; 2023) and who eat more nutritiously (Burrows, Whatnall, Patterson, & Hutchesson, 2017) have higher GPAs
  • Strong social wellbeing can help college students effectively manage their stress (Altaher & Runnerstrom, 2018)
  • Prevention and treatment of mental health issues leads to increased student retention and higher GPAs (Eisenberg, Golberstein, & Hunt, 2009)
  • Interacting with difference helps to promote learning and development (Fosnacht, Gonyea, & Graham, 2020)
  • Engagement in learning communities, study abroad, and undergraduate research is related to increased democratic awareness and participation (Howe & Fosnacht, 2017).

Enroll Your Institution in SWISS

SWISS administration enrollment takes place on a rolling basis. To enroll, complete the SWISS Registration Form at least three weeks before your desired survey start date. Once your registration fee has been paid, your enrollment will be confirmed. For more information on administration details, including materials your campus will need to submit to the Institute, please refer to the SWISS Administration Information document. In addition, the SWISS Participation Agreement is available for your review.

Institutions that enroll in SWISS receive access to responses in real time, via a secure online portal. Institutional representatives will be able to use this portal to filter results by student characteristics, download data visualizations for use on your campus, and download your data file. Access to aggregate data for comparison/benchmarking will also be available in the portal.

Additional Question Sets

Developed in consultation with Campus Recreation leaders from Viterbo University, Butler University, and the University of Florida; the Campus Recreation question set assesses climate in recreation facilities and the contribution that programs, facilities, and services make to students’ sense of belonging on campus.

A number of studies* have examined the influence of sense of belonging on student well-being. In contrast, the Student Well-being and Belonging Question Set looks at how student well-being influences sense of belonging. By combining this question set with the core SWISS instrument, institutions receive a fuller picture of how well-being influences the student experience on their campuses. The items in the set align with dimensions of well-being and give institutions a sense of which supports are most influential on student sense of belonging.

Fees

Administration of SWISS costs $2,500: a $500 registration fee and a $2,000 survey fee, inclusive of additional question sets. You may pay these two fees separately or together using the Institute for Well-being’s secure online portal.

SWISS Materials

SWISS Aggregate Reports