Pilot student SMS survey

To better understand our students’ needs and experiences, the University is piloting an SMS survey. The SMS survey has been developed in consultation with students and is part of a broader range of initiatives by the University to improve support around 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: +61 482 078 116.

What will the SMS say? 

The SMS will contain the following message: 

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 here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/support.html. To opt out, reply STOP.

Is my response confidential? 

Yes, all responses to the SMS are confidential.

The SMS pilot 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.