U of M launched a campus-wide digital communications survey the week of Feb. 2 to give students the opportunity to share feedback on how the university communicates online and how those systems can be improved.

The survey is part of a broader initiative led by Student Affairs to review and enhance the university’s digital communication landscape.

“We’re at a place right now where we really want to investigate and hear directly from students,” said Brandy Usick, executive director of student engagement and success.

“The tools we’re [using] were developed many years ago, and the importance of digital communication has only increased, particularly since the pandemic.”

Usick said the goal of the survey is to better understand how students currently access information, what platforms they rely on most and where gaps or challenges exist.

The findings will help inform future decisions around whether existing systems should be improved or replaced with more modern, integrated tools.

The upcoming survey builds on insights from a 2025 Perception Study conducted by an external research group for U of M’s strategic marketing and communications team, which found that the dominant source of information was UM Learn for undergraduate students and emails for graduate students at the university.

Across all students surveyed, 87 per cent relied on UM Learn, 68 per cent on email, 61 per cent on professor communications and 54 per cent on the university website to stay informed.

While those findings provided a useful snapshot, Usick said the new survey will go further by focusing specifically on how students want to engage with the university beyond coursework.

“We want to [dig] deeper into where students go for information about what’s happening on campus, how to get involved and how they want to engage with the university community,” she said.

In addition to the online survey, students will also be invited to participate in small focus groups where they can provide more detailed feedback and discuss their experiences with digital communication tools.

Usick emphasized that student participation is essential and noted that students are best positioned to identify what works and what does not.

“Students […] are the largest constituent group on our campus,” she said. “Their voices matter in shaping how we communicate as a community.”

To encourage participation, students who complete the survey have a chance to win some incentives including bookstore gift cards, dining services gift cards and U of M Bisons merchandise.

“[This] is an opportunity to lend your voice to a decision that will impact [current and future students],” Usick said. “We hope to hear how students want to communicate and engage with us as an institution.”

The link for participation in the survey will close on Feb.15. Students can access the survey via https://umanitoba.ca/student-survey