Fall Check-In Participation Agreement

1. Purpose of the Fall Check-In.
a. The Fall Check-In Participation Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into between The Trustees of Indiana University on behalf of the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement ("BCSSE"), which manages Fall Check-In, and Participating Institution.
b. The Fall Check-In is designed to collect data about college students' experiences during the fall semester. Fall is a critical time for students and is often the time period when the students start to feel difficult challenges and may not know how to get the help they need. Institutions can use the information to reach out to students who may need assistance. The Participating Institution will administer the survey to students.
2. Fall Check-In Procedures and Safeguards.
a. Fall Check-In may use aggregated survey data for national and sector reporting purposes and other undergraduate improvement initiatives. Fall Check-In may also make de-identified data available to researchers.
b. Fall Check-In utilizes Qualtrics survey and dashboard products. See the Qualtrics Security Statement for more details. Access by Fall Check-In staff to servers storing institutional and self-reported student survey data are controlled by Qualtrics user IDs and passwords.
c. Fall Check-In data are stored on secure IU servers. Only IRB-approved Fall Check-In researchers have access to the Fall Check-In data. See IU Data Management for more details.
d. Fall Check-In may disclose the name of Participating Institutions, but institutionally identifiable Fall Check-In results shall not be made public by Fall Check-In except by mutual agreement between Fall Check-In and the Participating Institution, or in accordance with any applicable law, such as the Indiana Access to Public Records Act.
e. Fall Check-In survey administration protocol is approved by the Indiana University Institutional Review Board (IRB). See Fall Check-In for more information.
3. Participating Institution Procedures and Requirements.
a. Participating Institution shall maintain a minimum of two campus contacts with access to Fall Check-In institution dashboards. Participating Institution shall promptly inform Fall Check-In when staffing changes necessitate updates to campus contacts.
b. Participating Institution must present the Fall Check-In surveys as a voluntary activity. Though incentives may be used, no coercion can be used to increase participation.
c. The participating Institution shall not mislead students about the extent to which participation is anonymous or confidential.
d. Fall Check-In is a locally administered survey, which means that the Participating Institution will be solely responsible for contacting students to solicit their participation.
e. Fall Check-In recognizes there may be interest in using text messages to invite survey participation and general awareness of the project. Participating Institution shall consult its legal and privacy experts to ensure compliance with federal and state laws (including the TCPA and CAN-SPAM Act, where applicable) before initiating any text message recruitment efforts to promote Fall Check-In. Participating Institution acknowledges and agrees that Fall Check-In and Indiana University shall not be held responsible for any claims, losses, or liabilities that may arise from Participating Institution’s text messaging practices. Fall Check-In requires that all text messages clearly explain that the Participating Institution is sending the text message, not Fall Check-In.
4. Use of Student Data.
a. The use of student data is regulated by the U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), which covers how educational institutions may share student data with outside organizations conducting research and assessment for the purpose of improving instruction.
b. Fall Check-In understands that Participant Information is subject to FERPA and will exercise due care in handling and processing student data. Further, Fall Check-In agrees to:
    I. Limit its use of personally identifiable information to the purposes of conducting studies that (1) improve instruction and student learning in higher education, or (2) evaluate the effectiveness of Fall Check-In survey methods in order to improve future data collection.
    II. Only provide access to personally identifiable information to Participating Institution as well as representatives of Fall Check-In /Indiana University who have legitimate interests in the information for the purposes described above;
    III. Delete student name from data files within five years of completion of the Fall Check-In Survey. The student ID field will be retained in the data as an archive for Participating Institutions.
d. As applicable, Fall Check-In will cooperate with the Participating Institution in complying with Canadian or other foreign data privacy laws.
5. Fall Check-In Pricing.
a. Pricing is based on the entering student enrollment using the most recent IPEDS data available, as well as if the Participating Institution is registered for the BCSSE during the same fall semester. Details about Fall Check-In pricing can be found here.
b. The institution agrees to pay $100 if it withdraws from the Fall Check-In after the first day of the month when the Fall Check-In survey opens if not also currently registered BCSSE in the same academic year.
c. A withdrawal request must be in writing and emailed prior to the first day of the month when the survey opens to: bcsse@iu.edu
d. There will be no credit or refund for Participating Institutions with low response rates or fewer completions than anticipated.
e. Participating Institution shall pay Fall Check-In the total cost within 30 days of receipt of the survey participation fee invoice.
6. Indiana Access to Public Records. Participating Institution understands and acknowledges that Fall Check-In, an auxiliary unit of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, is subject to Indiana's open records law, the Indiana Access to Public Records Act ("APRA"), Ind. Code §§ 5-14-3-1 to -10, and that compliance with APRA shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement.
7. Assignment. This Agreement shall not be assignable by either party without the prior written consent of the other party.
8. Force Majeure. Neither party shall be responsible or liable to the other party for nonperformance or delay in performance of any terms or conditions of this Agreement due to acts of God, acts of governments, wars, riots, fire, flood, or other causes beyond the reasonable control of the nonperforming or delayed party.
9. Limitation on Liability. Participating Institution agrees that Fall Check-In, IU, and its trustees, affiliates, employees, agents, and contractors, shall not be liable to Participating Institution for any claims, liabilities, consequential or incidental damages, costs, or expenses relating to this Agreement for an aggregate amount exceeding the fees paid by Participating Institution to Fall Check-In.
10. FERPA Compliance. To the extent IU will have access to “education records” for Participating Institution’s students as defined under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), the Parties acknowledge and agree that for the purpose of this Agreement, IU shall be designated as a “school official” with “legitimate educational interests” in the student data, as those terms have been defined under FERPA and its implementing regulations. IU agrees to abide by the FERPA limitations and requirements imposed on school officials. IU will use the education records only for the purpose of fulfilling its duties under this Agreement for Participating Institution and its students benefit and will not share such data with or disclose it to any third party except as provided for in this Agreement, required by law, or authorized in writing by the Participating Institution.
11. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties regarding the subject matter described herein and supersedes any prior negotiations and agreements. This Agreement may not be modified or amended in any respect except by a written agreement executed by both parties. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall extend to, be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of the heirs, administrators, representatives, executors, successors and assigns of the parties.

Updated April 9, 2025