The Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey (CCWS) 

The CCWS is a national health and wellbeing survey designed specifically for Canadian campuses. Its goal is to help universities, including McGill, better support whole-campus health and wellbeing through data-driven insights.

Led by Professor Guy Faulkner at the University of British Columbia, the CCWS gathers information on student mental health, wellbeing and expectations around services and programming. Your responses will help shape the future of student support at McGill and other Canadian universities.    

If you’ve been selected to participate, you’ll receive a unique survey link—please don’t share it with anyone else. To protect your privacy, McGill uses masked (proxy) email addresses when sharing contact information with the CCWS administrators. The data McGill receives back is fully anonymized and contains no identifying information. Your responses will be used for quality improvement, and nothing you share will be added to your student record. 

Participation is voluntary, and every voice counts. 

Learn more about the CCWS at https://www.ccws-becc.ca/.   

Why it matters: 

Your input helps improve services, programs, and resources that support student life and learning.  
Prize draw: 

Approximately 10,000 McGill students have been randomly selected to participate. If you’re one of them, you’ll be entered into a draw to win one of five $100 e-gift cards of your choice (Google Play, Apple, UberEats, or the McGill Campus Store).   

Participation is voluntary, and every voice counts. 

What to expect? 
The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. For the best experience, we recommend using a desktop or laptop rather than a mobile device.  
Some questions focus on mental health, which may bring up uncomfortable feelings. Please Remember that your participation i is completely voluntary, and you can skip any question(s) that you don’t feel comfortable answering. 
CONTENT WARNING: The survey includes two questions about suicide risk in the past year, as well as questions about drug and alcohol use and sexual activity. If you feel overwhelmed or distressed at any point, please take a break and refer to the resources listed below.  Your wellbeing matters.  

If you have any questions about this project at McGill or how we plan to use the results, please email feedback.stuserv [at] mcgill.ca (feedback[dot]stuserv[at]mcgill[dot]ca). 
For more information on data management, please see the Frequently Asked Questions below. 

What about data confidentiality and informed consent? 

By starting this survey you are giving your informed consent to the collection of the information in the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey. Your data will be anonymously stored in a data registry. The data registry is solely under the custodianship of the CCWS analysts and may only be accessed through case-level datasets prepared by CCWS analysts for approved researchers and third-parties for research purposes. 

Personal information is collected under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the sole purpose of this survey. If you have questions about the survey, please contact the CCWS at survey [at] ccws-becc.ca (survey[at]ccws-becc[dot]ca). 
Results of the survey will be reported in statistically aggregated form only, without identifying individual students. 

For information regarding McGill’s Privacy Notice visit, https://www.mcgill.ca/annex-mcgill-privacy-notice#research.  
Can I withdraw my data? 

You can withdraw your responses by submitting this request form. Please note that you only have the option to do this before the survey closes (Friday, February 27th, 2025), at which point the data is collected and processed. At no point in the process will McGill University’s services for students have access to your responses.  
 What about prizes? 
 Prize draws depend on how many students complete the survey. 

  • Selection/Notification Process: Winners will be randomly selected by the CCWS and contacted by McGill’s Student Life & Learning Assessment & Evaluation (A&E) team using masked email addresses. You’ll be notified via your McGill email within one month of the draw date, (March 9th, 2026.)  
  • Eligibility: Winners must correctly answer a multi-step math skill-testing question.  
  • Follow-Up: If there’s no response, a follow-up email will be sent after two weeks. If there is still no reply after another two weeks, a new winner will be selected.  
  • Privacy: Your McGill email may be shared with third-party vendors only for the purpose of delivering your electronic gift card. 

For any questions or comments, please email feedback.stuserv [at] mcgill.ca (feedback[dot]stuserv[at]mcgill[dot]ca).   

What to do if you have concerns or complaints? 
 If you have any ethical concerns or complaints about your participation in this study and would prefer to speak with someone outside the research team, you can contact McGill’s Research Ethics Board Office at daniel.tesolin [at] mcgill.ca (daniel[dot]tesolin[at]mcgill[dot]ca) or call 514-398-5410. 

What resources and supports are available?  

McGill Resources:  

  •   If you are in distress or crisis, or are concerned for someone, contact the Office of the Dean of Students (deanofstudents [at] mcgill.ca (deanofstudents[at]mcgill[dot]ca), Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). 
  • The Student Wellness Hub offers counselling services for students in Montreal (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). 

Community Resources 24/7 Care: 

  • If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 
  • Centre de prévention du suicide de Montréal
    • 24/7 Phone, Text and Chat support for individuals in Quebec experiencing suicidal thoughts.
    • Also provides support to individuals concerned for the safety of others.
    • Call: 1-866-277-3553
    • visit: https://cpsmontreal.ca/en/ 
  • Suicide Crisis Helpline 988.ca
    • Call or Text 9-8-8 In Canada (outside of Quebec) 
  • GuardMe (formerly Keep.meSAFE):
    • Call. Chat. Anytime. Anywhere. GuardMe connects students with free, confidential emotional health and well-being support via the app, telephone and web.
    • 1-844-451-9700