Organisation and social environment at work

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Our efforts with the organisational and social environment at work deal with how you feel as a student and how you find your study situation. Under Sweden’s Work Environment Act and its regulations, Chalmers’ duties include examining the terms and conditions of your course. This includes participation, distribution of tasks and resources, workload, social interaction, cooperation, and social support from other students and teachers.

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.

The resultat from The Student Barometer 2023

5449 students answered questions in the Student Barometer 2023 and 36% of all Chalmers students completed the survey in its entirety. The response rate varies between the programs and three programs stand out with over 70% respondents: Global Systems, Business and Entrepreneurship and Industrial Design engineering.

The results for 2023 show that students' satisfaction with their work environment has continued to rise after a clear slump during the pandemic. The area whose results have improved the most in the 2023 Student Barometer is the social study environment, which includes how you experience contact with fellow students both during and outside your studies.

There has been a slight difference over the years between which questions have the highest and lowest results, although there has been a change in the satisfaction index of the questions. What Chalmers students have been most satisfied with in 2023 is:

Top 10 - Strengths

  1. I feel safe and secure at Chalmers: 91
  2. I am proud to be a student at Chalmers: 88
  3. I feel that women and men in my programme are given the same opportunities and study on equal terms: 87
  4. As a student at Chalmers, I am given the opportunity to be my self: 87
  5. I am proud to be a student in my programme: 86
  6. I have good contact with my fellow students: 85
  7. I feel that my education has a purpose: 82
  8. I trust that teachers and staff will take action if they become aware of victimising and/or discriminatory treatment: 81
  9. I perceive Chalmers as an institution free from discrimination: 80
  10. I feel that I chose the right education: 79

Bottom 10 - Areas of improvement

  1. I am given the opportunity for recovery after a high workload in my studies: 49
  2. I feel that there is time for consideration and reflection in my studies: 54
  3. I have a good balance between my studies and private life: 61
  4. Teachers at my programme support and encourage me in my studies: 63
  5. I usually come to class prepared: 63
  6. I am generally satisfied with my workload: 64
  7. Teachers at my programme give me feedback on my performance.
  8. I know how I can influence my study environment: 65
  9. I know how I can influence my education: 64
  10. As a student at Chalmers, I am given the opportunity to get to know and work with both national and international students: 67

The complete presention of the Student Barometer is presented in a pdf report. The report is not accessible. For more information about the results, please contact the Equality Coordinator.

Sara Thornadtsson Chavarria
  • Equiality Coordinator, Student and Education Office, Chalmers Operations Support
reportResultat Studentbarometern 2022 (Opens in new tab)
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reportResultat Studentbarometern 2021 (Opens in new tab)
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reportResultat Studentbarometern 2020 (Opens in new tab)
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