UI Comprehensive campus survey results released

UI Comprehensive campus survey results released
Hunter
4/5/19

Although the majority of respondents say they’re satisfied with the overall campus experience at the University of Iowa, the school still faces several challenges.

Results from the U of I’s first-ever comprehensive campus climate survey helped shape the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan that the campus will be using to address key issues on campus and how to achieve new goals.

The Office of Strategic Communication summarized a set of four goals as examples of the key action points that will be worked on.

The report showed substantial differences in reported satisfaction on campus patterned by social identity and demographics. To that end, the school plans to assess items like gender-neutral bathrooms, accessibility features, images on walls, and other points.

Nearly half of the women faculty who responded to the survey, and 60 percent of underrepresented minority faculty said they’ve seriously considered leaving the UI in the last 12 months, citing “departmental climate” as the main reason. In response, the UI says they’ll continue to fund Distinction Through Diversity, to recruit and retain underrepresented faculty and students.

Many students who responded to the survey say they avoid speaking up in class for fear of being negatively judged by fellow students or instructors. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group says they will work with faculty and administrators to recognize the value of those conversations and comments in class.

The survey did say that the majority of faculty, staff and students on campus agree that the UI has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The school is committed to gathering data and implementing the results to make the experience of being at the UI a safe and successful one.

The survey was administered last spring and can be accessed at https://diversity.uiowa.edu/action-planning. .