Organisation and social environment at work

It also includes equal rights and gender equality issues. Chalmers’ fundamental values – quality, openness, participation, respect, and diversity – permeate all its work. An equitable and equal work environment is essential if Chalmers is to be a good study environment and develop as a university.

Annual inspections

To monitor and improve the social environment at work, an annual inspection of the organisational and social environment at work is conducted for each bachelor’s programme and their associated master’s programmes. Our consultations are based on a checklist covering important areas from the Work Environment Act and Discrimination Act. Participants in the inspection are the programme director, student safety representatives (SAMO), student guidance counsellors, and other relevant programme participants. The Chalmers Equality Coordinator participates in a supporting role.
The inspection examines the following aspects affecting the organisational and social environment at work and how they may pose a work environment risk.

Admission and recriutment

• Composition of the student population
• Discrimination in recruitment and admission

The student social environment

• Destructive attitudes that negatively affect the student social environment
• Social support
• Harassment and discrimination
• Alcohol culture

Forms of teaching and organisation of courses

• Workload and resilience
• Significance of studies
• Opportunities for influence

Examinations and assessments

• Study commitment
• Fair assessment
• Feedback

Studies and parenting

• Difficulties combining parenting with studies

Annual survey - Student Barometer

Each year, the University, in partnership with the Student Union, conducts a survey of students’ academic and work environment called the Student Barometer. This survey is conducted so that the University can gain a better understanding of how you perceive your course, your academic life, and your everyday life. It forms an important basis for managing the organisational and social environment at work and the University’s inspections.

The Student Barometer allows you to tell us anonymously how you are faring and how you perceive your study environment. The Student Barometer is sent out by email at the beginning of the spring semester.

Results from the Student Barometer 2026

4,158 students responded to the Student Barometer 2026. This corresponds to a response rate of 33%, which is an increase compared to last year when 29% participated.

The results provide an overall picture of how students at Chalmers experience their study environment at present – what works well and what may need further development.

A study environment characterised by safety and community

Many students describe a study environment where they feel safe and treated with respect. A large proportion state that they study on equal terms and experience a strong sense of community among students, both within and outside their programme.

The Social study environment index has strengthened slightly compared to the previous year. Overall, the results suggest that many students experience belonging and connection in their studies. At the same time, there are differences between groups, and for example international students report lower satisfaction with social contact.

Study workload, balance and Teaching

Study workload and the possibility of recovery continue to be experienced as challenging for many students. Questions related to balance and opportunities for reflection remain at approximately the same level as last year and indicate an area that requires continued attention.

Teaching and feedback also emerge as areas for further development. The survey shows that aspects related to the quality of teaching and the feedback students receive may need continued improvement within programs. At the same time, there are considerable differences between programs.

Study spaces and facilities – the topic that engages the most

Access to study spaces, the quality of facilities and experiences connected to different campus environments are the topics most frequently mentioned in the open comments.

This includes the possibility of finding a suitable study place, experiences of overcrowding and how facilities function in everyday student life. The physical study environment appears to be a central part of the overall study experience and something that clearly influences how studies work in practice.

More information about studentindex

About the survey and how to interpret the results

The Student Barometer consists of a number of positive statements that students respond to. Answers are given on a six-point scale, where 1 means “Do not agree at all” and 6 means “Fully agree”. To make the results more clear and comparable over time, the responses are recalculated into a value between 0 and 100. A higher value reflects stronger agreement with the statement in the group as a whole.

What is an index?

In addition to individual statements, index values are also presented. These represent an aggregated result within a specific area, such as study environment or teaching. The index is calculated as an average of the values for the statements within that area. This provides an overview and makes it easier to follow developments over time.

The results are used in Chalmers' continuous quality work and form the basis for improvements in both education and student life.

Results from previous Student Barometers are available as PDF reports below. The reports are only partially accessible. For complete information, please contact the equality coordinator.