Tough question, Diane. The effectiveness of surveys depends on a variety of factors; things like student confidence that something will happen, time when it's presented, the objective of the survey, etc. You may find that students are more responsive if the survey is given during the semester as a homework assignment, rather than something that is done hurriedly at the end of the course. Getting students involved in other ways may be another alternative – feedback luncheons with randomly selected students each month, student committees formed to address specific quality of life issues are two thoughts. Does your class structure allow for using journal entries about specific student life issues as a tool? Proactive communication is always preferable to crisis intervention.