The explanation in the email seems legitimate and is purportedly from the Vassar College president.
Why this is phishing
The link that launches from the email does not go to a Vassar site or any other service related to Vassar.
The originating email address is not from an internal Vassar account.
After taking the survey, the website asked for a password through a login screen that is not similar to any Vassar College service.
Any survey sent from HR or the President’s Office is preceded by an announcement email that clearly states where the survey is from and when it will be received; in this case no such initial email was sent.
Additional notes
This is an extremely dangerous Phishing attempt. If you clicked on this link and submitted your password, please contact the Service Desk immediately at x7224 or servicedesk@vassar.edu
Always examine the link! Look at the information in your web browser to determine whether or not the site you are directed to is a Vassar site or an unknown (or suspicious) one.
A phone call to the alleged sender would quickly verify if this is a legitimate email. It only takes a few minutes to pick up the phone!
Report it as phishing to Google. Before deleting the message, make sure to click on “report phishing”.
A little paranoia goes a long way! Be suspicious of any email messages similar to this one.
