Spring 2016 Climate Survey Results on Religion and Spirituality

The Spring 2016 Campus Climate Survey provides data that will be enriched through further discussion. In this report, the terms “religious identity” and “religious identification” are intended as broadly construed, to include today’s diverse human experience of religious and spiritual affiliation and practice, including nonreligious and secular approaches as well as individual experience that does not readily fit within traditional lines of definition. The findings from this survey compel us to contend with complex national and institutional issues. The University of Chicago has a foundational commitment to the idea that a culture of free and open inquiry requires empowering individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, identities, and perspectives to challenge conventional thinking in pursuit of original ideas. Such goals can only fully be realized within a climate that is inclusive.