Preliminary Results of the 2004 Campus Climate Survey Dr. Roger P. Sugarman Director of Institutional Research The Brown Hotel Louisville, Kentucky May 12, 2004

Presentation Outline Development of the campus climate survey Development of the campus climate survey Administration of the survey Administration of the survey Characteristics of the sample Characteristics of the sample Selected results for individual survey items Selected results for individual survey items  Reported comfort in different campus settings  Perceived frequency of unkind or negative language used to describe different groups  Reported frequency of various forms of sexual harassment Selected results for scales developed from the questionnaire Selected results for scales developed from the questionnaire Summary of main findings Summary of main findings

Development of the Survey An adhoc committee of PCW members and IR staff met in fall 2002 to plan the survey An adhoc committee of PCW members and IR staff met in fall 2002 to plan the survey Prototypes of climate surveys from several institutions were studied Prototypes of climate surveys from several institutions were studied Initial survey draft was designed to measure: Initial survey draft was designed to measure:  Satisfaction with the overall UK experience  Openness to diversity  Perceived freedom to express ideas and opinions  Interracial conflict/harmony on campus  Sensitivity to the treatment of gays and lesbians  Sexual harassment  Campus safety concerns  Climate in the classroom

Administration of the Survey President Todd’s letter to faculty teaching during the targeted timeslots and his to the entire student body alerted the campus community to the survey and emphasized the importance of the project President Todd’s letter to faculty teaching during the targeted timeslots and his to the entire student body alerted the campus community to the survey and emphasized the importance of the project The final survey consisting of 106 items was administered to undergraduates in early March at an hour when about half of all undergraduates were enrolled in classes The final survey consisting of 106 items was administered to undergraduates in early March at an hour when about half of all undergraduates were enrolled in classes An additional class time was scheduled in the evening to accommodate non-traditional students An additional class time was scheduled in the evening to accommodate non-traditional students Of the 9,168 undergraduates enrolled in targeted classes, 58% (5,315) completed the survey Of the 9,168 undergraduates enrolled in targeted classes, 58% (5,315) completed the survey

Administration of the Survey An initial to graduate and professional students from the Dean of Graduate Studies and contacts at the professional schools introduced the survey and provided a link to a web-based form An initial to graduate and professional students from the Dean of Graduate Studies and contacts at the professional schools introduced the survey and provided a link to a web-based form Two reminders were sent to students’ to maximize response rates Two reminders were sent to students’ to maximize response rates A total of 1,194 graduate students and 180 professional students completed the survey, which resulted in response rates of 24% and 13%, respectively A total of 1,194 graduate students and 180 professional students completed the survey, which resulted in response rates of 24% and 13%, respectively The sampling error for the graduate and professional results is plus or minus 2 percent The sampling error for the graduate and professional results is plus or minus 2 percent

Sample Composition: By Level Group Sam. Pop. Undergraduate79%72% Graduate18%22% 1 st -Professional 3%6%

Sample Composition: By Sex GroupUndergrad. Sam. Pop. Graduate 1 st -Profess. Sam. Pop. Male46%48%43%39%35%50% Female54%52%57%61%65%50%

Sample Composition: By Race/Ethnicity GroupUndergrad. Sam. Pop. Graduate 1 st -Profess. Sam. Pop. Black5%5%5%5%6%4% White89%89%77%66%84%85% Other6%6%19%29%9%11%

Analysis of Survey Results To increase the likelihood that Campus Climate Survey results are representative of the UK student body’s perceptions, beliefs and opinions, responses are weighted in terms of: To increase the likelihood that Campus Climate Survey results are representative of the UK student body’s perceptions, beliefs and opinions, responses are weighted in terms of:  Sex  Race/Ethnicity  Student level

How do students perceive the social climate on campus and in class? Reported comfort in different campus settings Reported comfort in different campus settings Perceived frequency of unkind or negative language used to describe different groups Perceived frequency of unkind or negative language used to describe different groups Reported frequency of various forms of sexual harassment Reported frequency of various forms of sexual harassment Review of selected items pertaining to:

How do students perceive the social climate on campus and in class? Openness to diversity Openness to diversity Perceived freedom to express beliefs and opinions Perceived freedom to express beliefs and opinions Campus safety concerns Campus safety concerns Perceived unfairness in classroom management Perceived unfairness in classroom management Perceived encouragement and respect from faculty Perceived encouragement and respect from faculty Overall satisfaction with the UK experience Overall satisfaction with the UK experience A look at factors that shape or reflect the prevailing climate on UK’s campus:

How comfortable do you feel in each setting? ( Percent reporting ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ comfortable)

How often have you heard students make unkind or negative remarks about the following groups? ( Percent reporting ‘occasionally’ or ‘frequently’)

Perceptions of Sexual Harassment from Other Students (Percent reporting ‘Occasionally’ or ‘Frequently’) Note: ratings made on a 4-point scale: never, a few times, occasionally, frequently

Reports of Actual or Attempted Rape (Sexual Assault) from Another Student Since the Beginning of the Academic Year Note: ratings made on a 4-point scale: never, a few times, occasionally, frequently

Openness to Diversity Measured by 5 items on a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha =.73) Measured by 5 items on a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha =.73) Adapted from a scale developed by Pascarella, Edison, Nora, Hagedorn, & Terenzini, (1996) Adapted from a scale developed by Pascarella, Edison, Nora, Hagedorn, & Terenzini, (1996) Sample scale items include: Sample scale items include:  Learning about people from different cultures is a very important part of college education  I enjoy taking classes that challenge my beliefs and values  I enjoy discussions with people whose ideas and values are different from my own

Openness to Diversity Females score significantly higher than males on an index of openness to diversity Females score significantly higher than males on an index of openness to diversity

Perceived freedom to express opinions and beliefs Measured by 3 items (Cronbach’s alpha =.68) Measured by 3 items (Cronbach’s alpha =.68) Sample scale items include: Sample scale items include:  Students are able to express freely their opinions on this campus  The university provides an environment for the free and open expression of ideas, opinions, and beliefs  During the past year, how often have you felt safe to express your views and opinions

Perceived freedom to express opinions and beliefs Compared to male students, female students perceive the university environment as offering greater freedom to express opinions and beliefs Compared to male students, female students perceive the university environment as offering greater freedom to express opinions and beliefs

Campus Safety Concerns Measured by 3 items (Cronbach’s alpha =.71) Measured by 3 items (Cronbach’s alpha =.71) Sample scale items include: Sample scale items include:  I am uncomfortable going places on campus by myself after dark  All students can feel safe on this campus (reverse scored)  How comfortable do you feel...  walking alone across campus at night (reverse scored)

Campus Safety Concerns Females have significantly more concerns about the safety of UK’s campus than males Females have significantly more concerns about the safety of UK’s campus than males The magnitude of this sex difference is dramatic The magnitude of this sex difference is dramatic

The Climate in the Classroom Perceived encouragement and respect from faculty members Perceived encouragement and respect from faculty members Perceived unfairness in classroom management Perceived unfairness in classroom management Two dimensions of perceived faculty behavior were assessed:

Perceived Encouragement and Respect from Faculty Members Measured by 6 items on a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha =.70) Measured by 6 items on a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha =.70) Sample scale items include: Sample scale items include:  My professors encourage me to pursue my academic and career goals.  I am comfortable asking instructors for academic help.  When I make a comment in the classroom, the instructor usually takes me seriously.  My professors present the contributions of minorities (women) in class.

“ My professors encourage me to pursue my academic and career goals”

“ My professors present the contributions of women in their courses and readings”

“ When I make a comment in the classroom, the instructor usually takes me seriously”

Perceived Encouragement and Respect from Faculty Members Females perceive faculty members as providing significantly more encouragement and respect than males Females perceive faculty members as providing significantly more encouragement and respect than males

Perceived Unfairness in Classroom Management Measured by 5 items on a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha =.77) Measured by 5 items on a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha =.77) Sample scale items include: Sample scale items include:  I have been graded unfairly based on irrelevant factors.  My professors make unkind remarks about my abilities.  Sometimes I get singled out in class to speak on behalf of my race/ethnicity.  Faculty have expectations about my academic performance because of my gender.

“ Faculty have expectations about my academic performance because of my gender”

“ My professors make unkind remarks about my abilities”

Perceived Unfairness in Classroom Management Male students perceive significantly more unfairness in faculty members’ classroom management than female students Male students perceive significantly more unfairness in faculty members’ classroom management than female students

Overall Satisfaction with The UK Experience Measured by 3 items on a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha =.88) Measured by 3 items on a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha =.88) Sample scale items include: Sample scale items include:  I am satisfied with my decision to attend college at UK.  Overall, my experiences at UK have been rewarding.  I would recommend UK to another student as a good place to go to college.

“Overall, my experiences at UK have been rewarding”

Overall Satisfaction with The UK Experience Female students report significantly more satisfaction with their experiences at the university than males. Female students report significantly more satisfaction with their experiences at the university than males.

Summary of Main Findings by Sex of Survey Respondents Females and males report similar comfort levels in most campus and classroom settings, although there are a few notable exceptions Females and males report similar comfort levels in most campus and classroom settings, although there are a few notable exceptions The most frequent targets of ‘negative’ or ‘unkind’ comments were: The most frequent targets of ‘negative’ or ‘unkind’ comments were:  Gays, lesbians, and bisexuals  Racial/ethnic minorities  Women  Students from rural Kentucky

Summary of Main Findings by Sex of Survey Respondents Compared to their male peers, female students reported hearing fewer instances of negative or unkind comments about men, women, and GLBT students Compared to their male peers, female students reported hearing fewer instances of negative or unkind comments about men, women, and GLBT students Both female and male students reported hearing more negative comments about women than men Both female and male students reported hearing more negative comments about women than men Females and males reported being exposed to various forms of sexual harassment with roughly the same level of frequency Females and males reported being exposed to various forms of sexual harassment with roughly the same level of frequency

Summary of Main Findings by Sex of Survey Respondents Relative to their male peers, female students... show greater openness to diversity show greater openness to diversity perceive the campus as offering greater freedom to express opinions and beliefs perceive the campus as offering greater freedom to express opinions and beliefs report greater concern about campus safety report greater concern about campus safety perceive faculty as providing more encouragement and respect perceive faculty as providing more encouragement and respect report less unfairness in the faculty’s management of the classroom report less unfairness in the faculty’s management of the classroom report greater overall satisfaction with the UK experience report greater overall satisfaction with the UK experience

Office of Institutional Research Office of Institutional Research Roger Sugarman, Ph.D. Phone: For more information on UK’s Campus Climate Survey: