Campus Climate Survey 2016-2017
Sexual violence and harassment is an urgent issue on college campuses. Recent federal guidance and possible legislation strongly recommend campus climate surveys as a best practice strategy to help institutions better understand the scope of sexual violence and harassment on campus and develop targeted prevention and response strategies. However, most institutions struggle to implement and use the data from campus climate surveys, and the Educational Advisory Board (EAB) is assisting institutions in addressing this issue with an online survey that can be administered consistently each year, provide national norms and data, and provide institutional and cohort data. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Title IX compliance requirements also mandate institutions to provide campaigning, education, and training to all students regarding sexual violence and harassment. This data will provide feedback on how we can provide additional resources/programming to our campus community.
In support of this initiative, we administered our second anonymous campus climate survey to students via the Educational Advisory Board (EAB) in spring 2017.
Below are a few summarized take-aways and formulated action items based off the spring 2017 survey results. Full report of the spring 2017 results.
Survey Respondent Demographic
- 9% of students participated in this survey.
- Action Item: Consider other platforms to announce the survey (e.g., student section of the Daily News).
- Action Item: Consider other avenues other than email for students to receive and complete the survey (e.g., text messaging).
- Action Item: Consider offering an incentive to participate.
- The majority of respondents were white, heterosexual, and female.
- Most respondents were first year students.
Campus Climate and Harassment
- Most respondents reported having a generally positive perception of the campus climate.
- Nearly 1/3 of participants reported having someone make sexist remarks or jokes in their presence since the beginning of the school year.
- Action Item: Use the online sexual violence prevention training and orientation to educate the community on what constitutes sexual harassment and stress the effects such behavior has on our community.
- 28% of participants indicated that the educational achievement or career of a person making a report of sexual violence would suffer.
- Action Item: Emphasize the UNTHSC retaliation policy throughout various events, email campaigns, tablings, and displays around campus during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and other awareness months.
- 1/4 of respondents indicated that a person making a report would experience retaliation.
- Action Item: Emphasize the UNTHSC retaliation policy throughout various events, email campaigns, tablings, and displays around campus during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and other awareness months.
Sexual Violence Prevention Training and Student Knowledge
- Almost 1/3 of respondents reported having received prevention training.
- Most respondents who received training indicated that they thought it was useful in increasing their knowledge.
- 63% of respondents indicated understanding what the school would do to address a sexual violence complaint.
- Action Item: Continue to inform the community of our reporting processes through monthly emails to students, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and other awareness months.
Sexual Violence Experiences Since the Beginning of the School Year (Fall 2016)
- 3% of respondents reported having experienced at least one incident of sexual misconduct at least one time since the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year.
- Action Item: Continue to increase awareness of campus, community, and confidential resources through various events, tablings, and displays around campus during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and other awareness months.
- Action Item: Use the online sexual violence prevention training and orientation to educate the community on what constitutes sexual harassment and stress the effects such behavior has on our community.
- No respondents reported the incident to the school.
- Action Item: Continue to inform the community of our reporting processes through monthly emails to students, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and other awareness months.
- 1/4 of female respondents reported having experienced unwanted sexual contact prior to coming to UNTHSC.
- Action Item: Continue to increase awareness of campus, community, and confidential resources through various events, tablings, and displays around campus during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and other awareness months.
Stalking and Harassment Experiences Since the Beginning of the School Year (Fall 2016)
- 14% of respondents reported having experienced at least one form of stalking or harassment since the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year (e.g., phone call or voice messages).
- Action Item: Continue to increase awareness of campus, community, and confidential resources through various events, tablings, and displays around campus during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and other awareness months.
- Action Item: Use the online sexual violence prevention training and orientation to educate the community on what constitutes sexual harassment and stress the effects such behavior has on our community.
- The perpetrator of the unwanted behavior was most often reported to be an acquaintance or peer.
- Over 1/2 of respondents who experienced stalking or harassment indicated that they told a roommate, friend, or classmate.
- Only one respondent reported having used the school’s formal procedures to report the harassment.
- Action Item: Continue to inform the community of our reporting processes through monthly emails to students, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and other awareness months.
- No respondent indicated that they had experienced intimate partner violence.
Community Behaviors
- Respondents generally reported that they viewed themselves as more likely than their peers to engage in bystander behaviors.
We will be launching the spring 2018 campus climate survey during the month of April. The survey is titled Attitudes & Awareness of Sexual Violence. All students will receive an initial email invitation and two email reminders during the three weeks the survey is available.
EAB will provide institutional and cohort data to all participating universities by June 30, 2018. Our goal is to distribute the results to the campus in conjunction with plans for additional resources/programming based on survey results.
Our office is prepared to provide any resources needed for students who have emotional triggers or questions about the survey. Contact information for assistance is provided at the end of the survey. Other campus and community resources. If students have additional questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Care and Civility at wellnessservices@unthsc.edu.
View Former Campus Climate Survey Results
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