2021 Climate Survey Summary
Overview
- In late Fall 2021, GVSU partnered with the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) to administer the HEDS Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey . This is the seventh time GVSU has assessed a survey to get the pulse of how students, faculty, and staff feel about learning, living, and working at the university. Surveys are one example of the university’s commitment to understanding the campus climate.
- The HEDS survey provides a consistent theoretical framework from previous instruments used by GVSU, enabling longitudinal analysis, and measures: (1) perceptions of institutional climate, (2) perceptions of institutional support for diversity and equity, and (3) experiences with discrimination and harassment.
- For the 2021 survey, data from the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) included comparisons to 30 public and private universities that administered the survey last fall and 177 institutions that have administered it since 2018.
- Overall, major indicators found GVSU respondents less positive about climate, including perceptions and experiences, than during previous survey administrations, but there was not an overall statistically significant difference between GVSU results and all participating institutions. HEDS researchers have indicated that having negative experiences influences all the measures of campus climate they review. While the survey validates many of the climate challenges already identified through other university efforts and previous surveys, GVSU will continue to work responsibly to build a culture of educational equity where all members of the community are able to thrive.
- HEDS has indicated that its survey is designed for people who spend a significant amount of time on campus, not people who work remotely or students who take their courses primarily online. Although GVSU had a larger number of individuals not interacting on-campus in Fall 2021, the administration was committed to assessing climate to establish an updated baseline for Reach Higher 2025 benchmarking, and to ensure timely response and actions. GVSU is committed to taking every opportunity to create a community where every member is valued and feels a strong sense of belonging.
- HEDs presented to the GVSU campus with high-level results and information from the data in May 2022. A recording of the presentation session is posted here.
Response Rates & Diversity
- 18% (4,564 individuals) of the university responded to the survey including 14% undergraduate students and 15% graduate students, 54% faculty, and 27% staff. In 2019, GVSU had a 38% response rate. Low response rates were common across the institutions that administered the survey in 2021. National averages were: 16% students, 42% faculty, 44% staff.
- Compared to the other institutions that participated in the survey, GVSU’s sample had a higher proportion of white people, cisgender women, those who self-identified as ideologically “liberal”, and those who self-identified as atheist or agnostic.
High-Level Data
- 74% of respondents at GVSU indicated they were “generally” or “very satisfied” with the overall campus climate for diversity and equity compared to 74% at all participating institutions.
- 49% of respondents at GVSU indicated they were “generally” or “very satisfied” that all community members experience a sense of belonging compared to 52% at all participating institutions.
- 47% of respondents at GVSU indicated they “agree” or “strongly agree” that the campus is free from tensions related to diversity and equity compared to 54% at 4-year public institutions, and 45% at all participating institutions.
- 87% of respondents at GVSU indicated they “agree” or “strongly agree” that diversity improves campus interactions compared to 88% at 4-year public institutions, and 89% at all participating institutions.
- 19% of respondents at GVSU responded “yes” to have experienced discrimination or harassment compared to 19% at all participating institutions. At GVSU, students were identified as the largest source of discrimination or harassment (62%), then faculty (40%), administrators (28%), staff (26%), and the local community (22%).
- Respondents also provided information on whether they experienced
discrimination or harassment that they believed was directed
at one specific aspect of their identity. At GVSU, six
identity groups experienced higher levels of discrimination or
harassment which they believe was directed at their identity,
including based on race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual
orientation, political affiliation, disability status, and religious
affiliation.
- 30% of Black, 22% of Latino, 17% of Asian, 12% of International, and 2% of White respondents indicated they believe discrimination/harassment was directed at their racial or ethnic identity.
- 29% of non-binary and/or transgender respondents indicated they believe discrimination/harassment was directed at gender identity, compared to 3% of cisgender men and 9% of cisgender women.
- 12% of those who identified as LGBQ+ compared to 1% of those who identified as heterosexual believed discrimination/harassment was directed at sexual orientation.
- 18% of those who self-identify as politically conservative and 7% of those as “liberal” believed discrimination or harassment was directed at their political affiliation.
- 16% of those who have a long-term disability and 9% of those with a temporary disability compared to 1% of those with no disability believed discrimination or harassment was directed at disability status.
- 11% of those with another religious affiliation (including Jewish and Muslim) compared to 6% of those who identify as Christian, 2% of those who identify as atheist/agnostic, and 2% of those who identify as spiritual, but not religious, believed discrimination or harassment was directed at religious affiliation.
- GVSU is roughly the smae or similar to all participating institutions, and a little lower compared to 4-year publics on the overall Campus Climate for Diversity and Equity Indicator calculated by HEDS (3.60 compared to 3.68, with 5 being most positive and 1 being most negative). The score is computed by averaging the level of satisfaction of the following elements: overall campus climate; campus experience/environment regarding diversity; extent to which the respondent experiences a sense of belonging or community; and the extent to which the respondent feels all community members experience a sense of belonging or community.
- Several subpopulations of respondents did score lower on the Campus Climate for Diversity and Equity Indicator at GVSU compared to all participating institutions, including faculty (3.45 at GVSU vs. 3.60 of all participating institutions), staff (3.42 vs. 3.68). Employee subpopulations at GVSU scored lower than their counterparts at all participating institutions across all reported identity groups (race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, disability status, and religious affiliation). Overall GVSU students had similar scores to students at all participating institutions. However, the following GVSU student subpopulations scored lower than their peers at all participating institutions: Black students (3.28 vs. 3.61), Latino students (3.32 vs. 3.82), politically conservative students (3.82 vs. 4.01), and students with a temporary disability (3.35 vs. 3.53).