2023 Student SMS Survey

To better understand our students’ needs and experiences, the University is again delivering an SMS wellbeing survey. The SMS survey has been developed in consultation with students and is part of a broader range of University initiatives to better support student wellbeing. 

Will I receive an SMS? 

If you’ve provided an Australian mobile number to the University, you’ll receive an SMS during the month of October from the following number: +61 488 849 883 (or +61 483 928 272).

What will the SMS say? 

The SMS will contain the following: 

The University of Sydney cares about your wellbeing. Tell us how you feel about university life by replying with a number from 0-10 (0=not at all positive, 10=extremely positive). Responses are confidential. Access 24/7 wellbeing support on the student life, wellbeing and support section of our website. To opt out, reply STOP.

Why are we running the survey?

Last year, the survey received a 10 percent response rate, and a number of students sought support from Student Wellbeing as a direct result of participating in the survey.

"Our 2022 Student SMS Survey connected many students in need with the touch of a button," said Professor Susanna Scarparo, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Student Life).

"It is important during Mental Health Month to acknowledge that digital access to wellbeing literacy can drive personal development and remove a barrier for students seeking support," she added.

Following the survey results in 2022, we made the following key changes, among others: 

• reduced wait times for counsellors;
• implemented a wayfinding service for general wellbeing-related enquiries with same-day service; and
• worked closely with faculties to better understand the results of the survey and identify opportunities for improvements that are both tailored to specific cohorts of students as well as to the wider student community.

"We know that the learning experience is very much connected to how we feel and respond to the day to day," said Dr Benjamin Wilkes, Head of Student Wellbeing, Education.

"The Student SMS Survey on student wellbeing allows the entire student body to participate and let us know how they are going." 

We're running this survey for the second time so that we can continue our commitment to enhancing our support for students, and compare the data with last year's results. This is a particularly important comparison, as we returned to face-to-face learning in Semester 2, 2023. The comparison across years will enable us to determine where there are trends in the data, and target our interventions appropriately.

Is my response confidential? 

Yes, all responses to the SMS are confidential.

The SMS will be delivered by the Westmead Applied Research Centre (WARC) on behalf of the University of Sydney using the TextCare SMS messaging platform.

Individual responses will remain confidential, and neither WARC nor the University will access individual responses except in cases of emergency.

Please see the full privacy statement below: 

To help the University develop informed approaches to support the wellbeing of its students, the SMS Wellbeing Check pilot will be delivered by the Westmead Applied Research Centre (WARC) on behalf of the University of Sydney using the TextCare SMS messaging platform.

We have provided WARC with your mobile phone number. WARC will use your phone number for the purpose of sending a Wellbeing Check message to you. WARC will securely destroy your personal information at the completion of the pilot.

Responses will be used to compile aggregated reporting about the average levels of wellbeing reported by different student cohorts, and to support research. Responses will remain confidential, and neither WARC nor the University will access and use identified individual responses, except in cases of emergency. Please note that the SMS Wellbeing Check is not intended as a means to request immediate support. If you need immediate support, please use the a wide range of wellbeing resources on the University’s Wellbeing Services page.

We will use aggregated responses to the Wellbeing Check to identify cohorts of students who might be struggling more than others, and who may need greater support from the University.

For more information about how we will handle your personal information, please refer to our student privacy webpage.

To learn more about the TextCare platform, please visit https://textcare.com.au/my/privacy.

You can also access information about WARC on our Westmead Applied Research Centre webpage.

How will the University use my response? 

Responses to the SMS will help us identify cohorts of students who might be struggling more than others, and who may need greater support from the University.

Individual responses to the SMS will remain confidential, but we will receive information about the average levels of wellbeing reported by different student cohorts (e.g. Faculty or School, year of enrolment, type of enrolment). 

Where can I go to speak to someone about my wellbeing? 

If you’re ever in need of immediate support, you can contact Student Wellbeing Services on +61 2 8627 8433 to speak with someone directly.

For more information and wellbeing resources, visit our health and wellbeing pages.