Everyone has a role in creating an inclusive culture. 

The 2022 Campus Climate Survey is open through March 18th. Complete it today!

Take the Student Survey

Take the Faculty/Staff Survey

As the University of Vermont embarks on a new DEI Strategic Planning process, our institution aims to create a comprehensive, data-driven practice that instills a commitment to shared responsibility among every member of our community when it comes to implementing this imperative work. Data collected in UVM's Campus Climate Survey will help establish a baseline to track our progress over the course of the plan.

It takes about 10 minutes to complete this year’s survey, it can be filled out on your computer or mobile device, and it is completely confidential. All participants who submit their survey also have the option to be entered into weekly raffles for prizes including freebies, movie tickets, and gift cards.

What is a Campus Climate Survey?

The Campus Climate Survey is a powerful tool to better understand the perceptions and experiences of students, faculty and staff, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and measure progress on key initiatives around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The data collected will inform the development of strategic plans across the university aimed to achieve a more equitable and inclusive campus environment. UVM will implement this survey every three years.

How Do We Use This Data?

In partnership with the University Diversity Council and Senior Leaders, DEI Leadership and Institutional Research will meet with all units and many departments across the institution to help them utilize data drawn from the Campus Climate Survey data dashboard to benchmark their DEI Strategic Plans. This will also inform the consultative support provided by the Division of DEI in the development of their goals for their plans that will include actions for climate improvements three years from now when we re-assess the campus climate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any incentives available for participating in the survey?

Yes! A wide variety of survey incentives will be available for respondents. Every respondent who chooses to share their contact information at the end of the survey will be entered into a raffle for survey incentives ranging from Apple AirPods to $20 UVM Bookstore gift cards to pairs of free movie tickets. Please note that a respondent’s contact information will be gathered through a separate tool and not connected with the survey in any way.

Will my survey responses be confidential? What measures have been taken to assure responses will be confidential?

Yes. Honest and authentic responses are needed to gather reliable data about the University’s climate. All responses will be completely confidential. 

Names and e-mail addresses will only be collected for those who want to be eligible to receive a survey incentive. All names and e-mail addresses will be stored separately from the survey data and there will be no ability to match survey data to names or e-mail addresses. In addition, all data will be stored on a secure University server. No one other than members of the Office of Institutional Research will have access to the database. Data will only be reported to the UVM community in aggregate form and will never be attributable to an individual.

How were the questions for the 2022 survey developed?

The questions from the 2019 survey served as the foundation for the 2022 survey. This was intentional so progress, or lack of progress, could be measured from the 2019 administration. In addition, the 2022 survey only focuses on issues related to DEI at UVM.

How long will the survey be open for?

The survey window will open on Monday, February 7, 2022, and close on March 4, 2022.

What kinds of accommodations are being made for people to take the survey?

The survey tool was designed with accessibility in mind. The tool is dynamic and can be accessed via speech-to-text software, screen readers, and by keyboard, to name a few features. In addition, a paper version of the survey will be made available upon request to dei@uvm.edu or 802-656-8426.

2019 Campus Climate Survey

About: 2019 Campus Climate Survey

  • The University of Vermont administered a comprehensive campus climate survey that was open from February - March of 2019.
  •  It was open to the entire University community. Students, faculty, and staff were encouraged to participate in the survey and provide their perspectives.
  •  The survey is an anonymous tool to assist the University community in gathering information that can be utilized to help achieve UVM’s vision, mission, and goals.

2011 Campus Climate Survey

About: 2011 Campus Climate Survey

Tool for Diversity Planning

A campus climate survey can be an important and helpful tool both in the assessment of the experiences of employees and students and in the development of diversity plans, policies, protocols and curriculum. Climate surveys can also provide strategic direction. Understanding how the University of Vermont community experiences workplace climate is important. Research in this area can contribute to the knowledge of discrimination, harassment, bullying, retention, sexual harassment, and other issues related to the well-being and job satisfaction of an institution. With a goal to be among the nation’s premier small research universities, UVM’s academic and administrative leadership must be willing to engage in a resolute assessment of accomplishments and challenges. This kind of self-reflection is important to change the status quo and become a more inclusive, equitable and just institution. This level of awareness can only serve to help the institution understand its community and provide a baseline for future priorities and needs.

 

Three Surveys: One Goal

By way of a background, the University of Vermont (UVM) attempted to provide such clarity when it conducted the 2005-2006 Campus Climate Survey that examined ways in which different groups experienced UVM, including women, persons of color, and lesbians, gays, and transgendered individuals. The steering committee for the survey, however, identified shortcomings in the project related to sample size and survey design that raised significant questions about the validity and reliability of some findings. As a result, President Daniel Mark Fogel and then-Provost John Hughes stated in a May 14, 2007 communication to the campus community, “We hereby commit the University to this kind of follow-up, to be completed no later than the end of the ’09 fiscal year, and we charge the Vice Provost for Multicultural Affairs and the Executive Director of Equity and Diversity to work together, in consultation with the presidential commissions and with us, to ensure that this mandate is carried out.” In the end, this effort was spearheaded by the then Executive Director of the Diversity and Equity Unit. Due to a variety of circumstances, the climate survey was not done by the 2009 fiscal year. Eventually, through the commitment and hard work of the Executive Director of Affirmative Action, the Presidential Commissions and several dedicated faculty and staff members three separate campus climate surveys were developed -- one for each campus constituency, i.e., faculty, staff, and students.

Highlights: 2011 Survey Results

 

Report: 2011 Finalized Report

  • A Campus Climate Survey (CCS) was administered in Spring 2011 to faculty, staff, and students to assess the campus climate.
  • The Campus Climate Survey was designed to gather information and help identify areas needing to be addressed to enable UVM to flourish as a welcoming and inclusive university for all individuals.
  • All faculty, staff and students affiliated with UVM at the time of the survey were eligible to participate. Approximately 3,900 faculty and staff and 11,600 students were emailed a link to the survey. Over 1,900 faculty and staff, and over 2,700 students completed surveys.
  • The survey was primarily conducted as an online survey. Paper surveys were available for anyone who preferred to complete them on paper. Surveys were also translated into three languages (Chinese, Vietnamese, and Bosnian).
  • The survey’s development was supported by the Presidential Commissions, coordinated by the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), and administered by the Center for Rural Studies at UVM.

Some Key Findings:

  • 78% of faculty, 84% of staff, and 86% of students are satisfied with their UVM experience.
  • Students, especially, feel a sense of respect from other students (90%), faculty (93%), and staff (92%). On the other hand, 63% of faculty and 67% of staff believe that senior administrators treat them with respect.
  • Very few faculty, staff or students reported having been sexually harassed in the past year; however, a significant minority of faculty, staff and students has reported experiencing bias and/or discrimination during their time at UVM.
  • Faculty and staff of color and LGBT faculty and staff are twice as likely to report having experienced sexual harassment as their peers. Female students are twice as likely as male counterparts to report having experienced sexual harassment. Faculty and staff of color and LGBT faculty and staff are also more likely to report having experienced bias. Faculty are more likely than staff to report having experienced discrimination, and older faculty and staff are more likely to report having experienced discrimination than their younger peers.
  • A significant minority of faculty, staff, and students report having observed or experienced discriminatory or disparaging remarks.