What even is the UCUES survey? Is it worth my time?

[Olivia]

Okay so besides the prizes, what actually IS the UCUES? I looked it up and apparently it's the "largest survey given at UC San Diego" and all nine UC campuses do it every two years .

They ask about everything:

• Experiences within your major
• Basic needs (food, housing, money)
• Health and wellness
• Campus climate
• How you spend your time
• Obstacles to academic success

That's actually kind of cool. They want to know if students are struggling with stuff like food insecurity or mental health. And they use the data to "develop programs and practices to improve undergraduate life" .

So if I complain about the dining hall food, maybe they'll actually... improve it? Or at least add more vegan options?

 

[LaraChaos]

The "basic needs" section is honestly the most important part of the whole survey. UC system has been under pressure about food and housing insecurity for years and UCUES is how they track whether things are getting better or worse.

If you're struggling with rent or groceries, PLEASE be honest on the survey. It's anonymous and the data literally determines where funding goes. The food pantries, the emergency grants, the basic needs centers — all of that exists because students reported their struggles.

Also yes, complain about the vegan options. That's valid. Put it in the comments.