The Course Experience Survey (CES) program collects and analyzes student feedback to support the improvement of course quality and teaching practices at SFU. This information provides instructors and university leadership with a consistent basis for developing effective learning experiences across all academic programs. Administered each term, the program follows a four-stage process:

1. Scheduling Surveys: Managers from each department and school review the schedule to ensure course accuracy, adjust dates, and combine or split sections as needed. Instructors then review their schedule to ensure that it fits with their course design.
2. Creating Questions: Upon completion of the scheduling phase, instructors are invited to begin adding their own questions alongside the Common Core, Discipline, and Context question sets.
3. The Survey Period: Surveys typically take place during the last two-weeks of regularly scheduled classes (the last week for abbreviated terms like intersession). During this time, students are sent a set of email reminders to participate and instructors can use the response rate monitor to encourage participation.
4. CES Reporting: Aggregated reports, which protect student confidentiality, are made available to instructors, Chairs, Directors and their Associates the day after the general grade release deadline each term.

The CES program is run by SFU's Learning Experiences Assessment and Planning (LEAP) team, reporting to the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Learning and Teaching.