Navigating the ODU Student Experience: Insights from Opinion Surveys
Old Dominion University (ODU), a preeminent public research university located in Coastal Virginia, is committed to fostering a dynamic and responsive educational environment. A cornerstone of this commitment lies in actively soliciting and analyzing student feedback. Through various surveys, ODU aims to understand and enhance the academic journey, campus life, and overall student experience. This article delves into the mechanisms and significance of these surveys, particularly focusing on the Student Opinion Survey, and contextualizes it within the broader landscape of ODU's dedication to progress and student success.
The Pulse of ODU: Understanding the Student Opinion Survey
The Student Opinion Survey is a critical tool for ODU to gauge student sentiment regarding their academic endeavors. Virginia’s Old Dominion University is described as a progressive, metropolitan research university that offers its 19,000 undergraduate students more than 120 majors, state-of-the-art facilities, and millions of dollars in annual funding for ongoing projects. This extensive student body, with its diverse backgrounds and needs, benefits from surveys that capture their experiences.
The surveys are administered centrally through the Division of Digital Transformation & Technology (DTT), ensuring a standardized and efficient process. In an effort to streamline the survey process, ODU transitioned to an online course evaluation system in fall 2003. This move to a digital platform has not only improved accessibility but also enhanced the usability of the feedback collected. A key feature highlighted is that the Student Opinion Survey is mobile-friendly, allowing students to participate conveniently from various devices.
Student feedback is deemed vital to the content and delivery of courses at ODU. The insights gleaned from these surveys are not merely collected; they are actively reviewed by University administrators and faculty. This ensures that the feedback directly influences pedagogical approaches, curriculum development, and the overall academic offerings. The results are viewed by University administrators and faculty, underscoring the direct impact student opinions have on institutional decision-making.
Participating in the Survey: A Guide for Students
To ensure that student voices are heard, ODU provides clear guidelines for participation in the Student Opinion Survey. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these important surveys to let us know how their semester went. The primary method of access is by clicking the "Take Your Surveys" button on the designated page. To maintain the integrity and security of the feedback, students must log in using their MIDAS ID and password. It is crucial to note that this login information is NOT submitted as part of the feedback data, safeguarding student privacy.
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Course surveys for each semester are available during the last two weeks of most courses. This timing allows students to reflect on their complete experience with a course before providing their feedback. During the survey period, instructors can view the response rates for their courses, providing them with an indication of student engagement with the feedback process. However, they cannot view any other data while the surveys are open, ensuring that individual responses remain anonymous until after the survey closes and results are aggregated.
A specific instruction is provided regarding courses with multiple instructors: students should submit surveys only for those courses with the correct instructor name. Some courses, such as those in Nursing, may have multiple instructors listed, and it is important to direct feedback to the appropriate faculty member. The University officially lists students as "registered" for a course, which is the basis for survey eligibility.
Beyond Course Evaluations: Broader Student Feedback Mechanisms
While the Student Opinion Survey focuses on individual courses, ODU employs other mechanisms to capture a holistic view of the student experience. The Senior Student Satisfaction Survey (SSSS) is a significant initiative that was first deployed in 2014. This survey is designed to capture graduating seniors' sentiments about their educational career at Old Dominion University. All graduating seniors are strongly encouraged to complete this assessment, as the data contained in the associated Fast Facts reports include those who have complied. Though deployed in 2014, some questions have since been modified or added to capture more student opinion, demonstrating a commitment to evolving the survey to meet current needs. The Senior Assessment is a University requirement that measures students' satisfaction with their degree programs and with their overall University experience, and it is completed during the semester in which the student's degree is conferred.
Furthermore, ODU utilizes the Campus Climate Survey to gather staff perceptions of our campus climate and work-life experiences, which provided valuable insight into the quality of the working environment. While this survey targets staff, its findings indirectly contribute to understanding the overall university environment that also impacts students.
The TCI (presumably a specific assessment tool) is a self-report of attitudes, personality characteristics, and behaviors while in high school, along with predictions about performance and involvement in college. This type of instrument, though potentially administered earlier in a student's career, contributes to a longitudinal understanding of student development and success.
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Old Dominion University is also undergoing a multi-year improvement cycle through the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty Satisfaction process. COACHE studies the work lives of faculty, gathering data that can help administrators create a better faculty experience. While focused on faculty, a positive and supportive faculty environment is intrinsically linked to a positive student experience.
ODU's Commitment to Innovation and Adaptability
ODU's dedication to providing a cutting-edge educational experience is evident in its embrace of technology and flexible learning modalities. The university caters to all types of learners and is adaptable about “using programs like WebEx to have distance students participate in the actual lecture.” This commitment to technological integration is further exemplified by its excellent lab facilities, including ODU’s trading floor, which boasts the most Bloomberg terminals in the state. The variety of classrooms, from typical lecture halls to open floor plan rooms with whiteboards, is designed to best serve the diverse array of majors.
Online and night courses offer the flexibility needed by the wide-ranging student body. This adaptability is particularly valued by students who are ready to enter, or are already in, the workforce. The “focus on internships and gaining experience” and “serviced-based learning” are key components of ODU's approach, preparing students for real-world challenges.
The concept of modality, referring to how students complete the majority of their coursework, is also a focus at ODU. Reports on modality are available to Old Dominion University faculty and staff, indicating an institutional awareness of and interest in how students engage with their education. This understanding is crucial as the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, with increasing attention on the effectiveness and student experience in various course formats.
Addressing Perceptions of Accelerated Courses
In recent years, there has been considerable discussion regarding the rigor and effectiveness of accelerated course formats. ODU's approach to these modalities is informed by research and a commitment to academic integrity. Some express a perception that rigor is reduced in moving to accelerated courses, but there is no research that confirms this is the case. In fact, one of the few studies comparing course rigor in 8-week and 16-week courses found that students reported working 17 minutes more per credit hour per week in 16-week courses. Further, the study, which included a sample of 29,000 students, found that instructor and course type actually had a stronger impact on rigor than course length for some courses. In the words of the authors, “the instructor and the specific subject are more likely to be the differentiating factor than when the course is taken” (Lutes and Davies, 2013, p. 7).
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Empirical findings also counter the belief that learning “worsens” in accelerated courses. Research shows the opposite (Deichert et al., 2013), with several studies demonstrating “evidence of student success in shortened courses” (Kidd, 2025, p. 9). Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, recently analyzed the learning outcomes and enrollment behaviors of nearly 180,000 students enrolled in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) between 2010 and 2015. Rather than resulting in “worse” learning outcomes or drops in enrollment, they found that accelerated courses “increase pass rates and improve both enrollment and performance in subsequent courses” (Li and Xu, 2025, p. 1). These findings support ODU's strategic implementation of diverse course formats designed to meet student needs while maintaining academic rigor.
It is important to note the broader context of faculty perceptions of online and accelerated learning. Summarizing data from the annual Survey of Faculty Attitudes on Technology, one author team concluded, “At no point prior to 2020, did a majority of faculty agree that online courses could achieve student outcomes that were equivalent to in-person courses and, while faculty experience with teaching online increased over time, those with online teaching experience remained in the minority” (Johnson et al., 2022). In a similar vein, recent research surveying 958 faculty from 8 institutions found that 53% of faculty prefer on-campus instruction, compared to 18% who said “they prefer teaching courses that are completely online” (Muscanell, 2023). While these faculty perspectives are noted, ODU's focus remains on leveraging technology and innovative course delivery to enhance student success, supported by empirical evidence of positive outcomes in various modalities.
The ODU Community: Diversity and Campus Life
Old Dominion University is characterized by its diverse student body, which contributes significantly to the richness of the campus experience. With such a large student population, ODU is home to students of all ages and backgrounds, and the diversity of the student body “makes for more interesting student interactions” and “freedom of expression is always encouraged.” This “very chill and inclusive” group includes a large military and international quotient, and “all of the students seem to respect and are truly interested in learning about each other.” The diversity is apparent “culturally and also politically,” and there are many liberal and conservative people, and “rarely has [there] been any issues.” This inclusive atmosphere ensures that "You’ll never have to worry about finding where you fit in."
The campus itself is designed to foster a sense of community and ease of navigation. It is a residential campus, with fourteen current residential buildings and “new housing areas and a lot of new buildings being built.” The compactness of campus makes the distance between classes manageable. Beyond academics, ODU offers a vibrant campus life. During the day, students are typically in class or in the library. In the summer, fall, and spring, you'll “find lots of students on the quad playing football or skateboarding.” The proximity to nearby beaches also provides ample opportunities for recreation and relaxation.
Faculty Dedication and Student Support Services
The faculty at ODU are a significant asset to the student experience. Most professors are dedicated to student success, with many having “designed informative lectures and study materials, and gear their classes not just towards theoretical knowledge, but real world application.” While students readily admit there are weak teachers in the bunch, most are “absolutely wonderful,” “have many office hours available and are open to appointments,” and appreciate “the amount of effort professors put in to make sure everyone is successful.” The commitment extends beyond the classroom, as evidenced by a student's observation: “I’ve had numerous professors help me outside of the classroom with projects that did not even pertain to their class.”
The university is also “very research oriented,” and offers many services to students, such as “counseling, health care, [and] accessibility.” A notable resource is the writing center, which “allows students to bring in papers to have them reviewed by a professional” so they can receive tips that will help to strengthen their writing. These support services are integral to the holistic development of students, ensuring they have the resources needed to thrive academically and personally.
Navigating to ODU: Accessibility and Transportation
Old Dominion University is accessible via multiple transportation networks, making it convenient for students to reach and navigate around the campus and the wider Norfolk area. The university is served by Norfolk International Airport, Amtrak, Greyhound Bus, and taxi service. For students on campus, Old Dominion University runs a shuttle bus service around campus and to downtown Norfolk, enhancing mobility and accessibility.
Detailed driving directions are provided for those coming from the North, South, and Norfolk International Airport, ensuring a straightforward journey to the University entrance and the designated parking garage. These comprehensive directions highlight ODU's commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of their point of origin, can easily access the campus.
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