Climate Survey 2004

University of Wisconsin at La Crosse | Faculty/Staff Campus Climate Survey 
Dr. Deb Hoskins

Summary
In the Spring of 2004, UWL conducted a “Campus Climate Survey” of all 1418 employees, including faculty, staff, and graduate assistants. The survey yielded a 60% response rate for a final sample of 829. Of those respondents, 48% were men, 52% women; 79% were non-Hispanic white, 8% identified as members of other races, and 11% preferred not to identify their race; 30% were faculty, 10% were instructional academic staff, 16% non-instructional academic staff, 28% classified staff, 3% LTEs, 7% were mid-level and upper-level administrators, and 6% were graduate assistants. Three broad areas of concern were identified: workload and work/life balance, advancement & recognition, and leadership. The results supporting each of these areas are provided. In addition, the university’s commitment to diversity and data representing the experiences of disadvantaged groups are discussed. The process for distributing the survey’s results is also discussed. 

Background
In the spring of 2004, UWL conducted a “Campus Climate Survey” of all employees, including faculty, staff, and graduate assistants. The survey originated from Chancellor Hastad’s charge to the Women’s Advisory Council and from Dean Magerus’ charge to the College of Liberal Studies Diversity Committee to study the campus climate through a survey. Dr. Deb Hoskins, Women’s Studies, and Ms. Sharie Brunk, Academic Discovery Lab, co-chaired a committee that united the two charges and developed the survey.  

UW Madison’s Committee on Women in the University – Work Group on Climate defines climate as “The atmosphere or ambience of an organization as perceived by its members. An organization's climate is reflected in its structures, policies, and practices; the demographics of its membership; the attitudes and values of its members and leaders; and the quality of personal interactions.” The UW Madison Campus Climate Network Group defines it as “the result of behaviors within a workplace or learning environment, ranging from subtle to cumulative to dramatic, that can influence whether an individual feels personally safe, listened to, valued, and treated fairly and with respect.” The UWL questionnaire focused on overall inclusiveness and climate, trust and respect, campus communication, collegial decision-making, work/life balance, policy issues around workload, advancement, and compensation, and perceptions and experiences of discrimination. 
View the full faculty/staff report | View the faculty/staff report summary.

University of Wisconsin at La Crosse | Student Campus Climate Survey
Dr. Deb Hoskins

Summary
In the Fall of 2004, UWL conducted a “Campus Climate Survey” of 8832 undergraduate and graduate students via an email survey. The survey yielded a 29.7% response rate for a final sample of2630. Of those respondents, 25.4% were men, 73.5% women; 5.19 % identified as members of races other than white, 9.0% preferred not to identify their race. Four broad areas of concern were identified: students’ experience of dangerous situations, retention, communication, and the university’s record on diversity. An area of interest is civility. In addition, data representing the experiences of disadvantaged groups and particular concerns for students with disabilities are discussed. The process for distributing the survey’s results is also discussed.

Background
In the fall of 2004, UWL conducted a “Campus Climate Survey” of all students, including undergraduates and graduate students. The survey originated from Chancellor Hastad’s charge to the Women’s Advisory Council and from Dean John Magerus’ charge to the College of Liberal Studies Diversity Committee to study the campus climate through a survey. Dr. Deb Hoskins, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Ms. Sharie Brunk, Academic Advising Center, and Dr. Sara Sullivan, Psychology Department, co-chaired a committee that united the two charges and developed the survey. In a recent report to the Board of Regents on Plan 2008, “Briefing Paper: Campus Climate as a Factor in Student Retention,” the University of Wisconsin System Office of Multicultural Affairs provided this definition of “campus climate”:“‘Campus climate’ may be viewed as an amalgamation of the collective characteristics of an institution that affect the behavior, academic, and professional performance of individuals and the community (Wells, 2000). In less formal terms, campus climate is a complex set of factors that determine a student’s relationship to the institution in social and academic terms. It plays a crucial role in determining whether the student experience is successful, and whether the student is retained and graduated.”1The UWL questionnaire focused on overall inclusiveness, campus environment, trust and respect, and communication, reasons to consider leaving UWL, experiences of dangerous situations, and perceptions and experiences of discrimination both on and off campus. The committee chose questions that would supplement, rather than repeat, results from UWL’s participation in the National Student Survey on Engagement.

View the full student report | View the student report summary.