2023 Campus Climate Survey Update

 

To: Members of the University Community

From: Katherine Baicker, Provost

Subject: 2023 Campus Climate Survey Update

Date: December 18, 2023

 

Our longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion is crucial to promoting a culture of free expression by fostering an environment where different perspectives are valued and respected. This type of campus climate encourages open dialogue, challenges assumptions, and generates exceptional scholarship and learning that leads to field-defining research and discovery.

 

As part of our ongoing work to assess our climate and understand the progress of and opportunities for our diversity and inclusion efforts, we conducted a Campus Climate Survey in May of this year. The survey was designed to capture some of the experiences and perceptions of academics, students, and staff on a broad range of issues related to diversity and inclusion. It also provided a comparison to and expanded on findings from the last Campus Climate Survey conducted in 2016.

 

In February, the Office of the Provost will host a town hall to review the survey findings, along with publishing a comprehensive report. Details about the town hall will be available in January.

 

The questions in the 2023 survey primarily focused on climate, feelings of belonging, and experiences of harassment. They covered many areas that were assessed in 2016, including racism, sexism, homophobia, disability bias, and religious intolerance. The 2023 survey also assessed additional areas that were not included in 2016, including ageism and perceived tolerance or intolerance of diverse political views, national origin, socioeconomic background, and gender expression.

 

The survey had an overall campus response rate of 30%, including participation by 41% of academics, 21% of students, and 42% of staff. This year’s overall participation rate was nearly identical to that of 2016.

 

While initial analyses reveal that some progress has been made since 2016 in overall perceptions of campus climate across several dimensions, with fewer respondents reporting the climate to be racist or sexist, for example, the results also identify crucial areas for improvement. On average, people who are members of a minority or marginalized group continue to report experiencing more bias on campus. Some groups of individuals on campus also report a lower sense of belonging and are more likely to experience instances of harassment.

 

There is a great deal of important information in the survey that can help guide our efforts, but your engagement and input are vital. In addition to the upcoming town hall, multiple smaller group and unit-level discussions will be held early next year to discuss the survey results and gather additional information about the campus climate. These discussions, along with the survey findings and additional input from members of our community, will inform the development of a new strategic plan to guide the University’s ongoing diversity and inclusion work.

 

An advisory committee composed of faculty, students, and staff from across the University provided critical input into the development and deployment of the survey. I am thankful to the committee, chaired by Waldo E. Johnson, Jr., Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, for its thoughtful work and dedication, and to the Office of Institutional Analysis for its support on data collection and analysis. Thanks also to all of you who participated in the Campus Climate Survey. Through our ongoing collaboration and commitment, we can contribute to fostering an inclusive campus climate for all members of our community.