Kathy Henderson took the Campus Community Survey almost as soon as it was launched a week ago.

Today, she received an iPad.

Coincidence? Definitely not.

Henderson, director of prospect management and research in the Office of University Development, was the first person on the Davis campus to win an iPad for participating in the survey. “Oh my! I am screaming!!!! Too cool. Thank you!!! Thank you!!!!” she said in response to an email telling her that she had won.

One week into the survey, the campus also gave away dozens of $25 gift cards. See the complete list of winners.

As of today (Feb. 8), the Davis and Sacramento campuses together had achieved a participation rate of 15 percent. “The response has been wonderful, to have so many people involved early on, to have their voices heard,” said Rahim Reed, associate executive vice chancellor for Campus Community Relations.

The survey is part of a systemwide collection of data with an end goal of ensuring UC campuses “allow everyone to live, learn and work in a supportive and respectful environment, where we are all treated fairly and with dignity, regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, appearance and sexual orientation,” in the words of Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi.

Reed heads the survey effort on the Davis campus, and Penny Herbert, director of Strategic Planning at the UC Davis Health System, leads the effort in Sacramento. Both are pushing hard to hear from everyone — staff, faculty and students — and are emphasizing that survey responses are confidential.

Each person uses an individualized URL (sent by email) to access the survey, but there is no connection between your URL and your responses. The URL does one more thing: It lets the university know that you submitted your survey, thus making you eligible for the prize drawings.

At the same time, the university knows who has not participated, and they are receiving email reminders. Look for an email from AEVC Rahim Reed, with the subject line: “UC Davis Campus Community Survey — Reminder!”

The survey team also is reaching out to people who do not have computer access, by letting them know that paper surveys — in English and Spanish — will be made available. Location, dates and times are still being worked out; they will be announced on the survey website.

Survey team members will be on duty to hand out and collect the surveys in their sealed envelopes. They will be sent directly to Rankin & Associates Consulting, which is running the survey; identifying information will be removed, and the names of the people who use paper surveys will be passed on to the campus, so those names can be entered in the prize drawings.

The campus has more iPads and gift cards to give away, and the UC Office of the President has prizes of its own to give away, when the survey closes. See the prize list here.

Earlier coverage

"'Be Heard!' Campus joins systemwide climate survey," Dateline UC Davis (Feb. 1, 2012)