The HEDS Sense of Community Survey is designed for students, faculty, and staff. It was developed and administered by the Higher Education Data-Sharing Consortium (HEDS), an organization of private colleges and universities that share knowledge and expertise to advance undergraduate liberal arts education, inclusive excellence, and student success. The survey asks about the extent to which people feel a sense of community at their institution and what experiences promote or diminish their sense of community.
St. Olaf administered the survey to all students, staff, and faculty in Spring 2025. Overall, 1,577 students (51%), 403 staff/administrators (75%), and 210 faculty (58%) responded.
Survey Results
Response Dashboard
This dashboard shows responses to the closed-ended survey questions (those that provided a list of options to choose from, such as “agree” or “disagree”). Each question has its own page. Responses can be disaggregated by the different demographics collected through the survey, including role (student, staff or administrator, and faculty), gender, religion, and political viewpoint.
Open-ended Comments
Around 50-70% of each of the respondent groups answered the three main open-ended questions in the survey:
- What makes you feel like you are part of the St. Olaf community?
- What, if anything, makes you feel like you are not part of the St. Olaf community?
- What can St. Olaf do to better support you and increase your sense of community at St. Olaf?