The University is one of 27 universities participating in a climate survey on sexual assault and sexual misconduct organized by the Association of American Universities. Between all involved schools, over 800,000 students are invited to participate in the survey administered by independent research firm Westat.
In July 2014, the University and five other AAU universities decided to select an independent firm to develop a survey, which Westat began to develop in Nov. 2014. Students are invited to participate in the survey until it closes April 29.
The survey includes questions about students’ knowledge and beliefs about social situations, perceptions about sexual misconduct, resources available at the University and individual experiences with sexual assault and misconduct. All responses will be confidential, and the results will be presented in summary form so no individual can be identified.
AAU President Hunter Rawlings said the survey’s goal is to develop programs and services that both minimize sexual assault and misconduct and respond better to incidents of sexual violence.
“Our primary purpose in conducting this survey is to help our institutions gain a better understanding of this complex problem on their own campuses as well as nationally,” Rawlings said in a press release from AAU. “Our first priority, and theirs, is to ensure that students not only are safe but feel safe.”
The survey is identical for all schools, except for five questions specific to each university. AAU will report the results from all participating universities and provide each university with its own data, which the University will receive on Sept. 1, 2015. The University also plans to release its own report mid-September.
“We are pleased that we will be able to conduct a climate survey involving so many universities and students from every region of the country,” Rawlings said. “We have an excellent cross-section of our institutions — about half public and half private, rural and urban, with a range of sizes.”
Christina Morell, associate vice president for student affairs, also noted the importance of diversity in the survey’s responses, both for the national survey and the University specifically.
“It’s not an issue of number but of ensuring we have good representation from all types of students on Grounds,” Morell said in an email. “We hope all students reply as student input is critical to getting a true picture of the campus climate on sexual assault, dating and domestic violence and sexual harassment.”
All undergraduate, graduate and professional students above the age of 18 who are enrolled in a degree program are asked to complete the survey. Morell said the University hopes at least 50 percent of students will respond.
Morell said the data from the survey will identify specific areas to target and will help to inform prevention and education programs.
“The data also will help identify opportunities to enhance our policy and related procedures on sexual and-gender based harassment and other forms of interpersonal violence and how through training and outreach we promote student understanding of what constitutes prohibited conduct, the institutional response in such cases and the resources available to students who experience sexual violence,” Morell said.
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