2019 Project Lead & Consultant
Since its first campus climate survey in 1994, GVSU has developed both the institutional capacity and expertise to administer a mostly in-house campus climate assessment in 2019. The 2015 survey used an abbreviated version of the instrument developed with Rankin & Associates Consulting in 2011.
Project Lead
Dr. Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D.
Vice President for Inclusion and Equity, Grand Valley State University
Office Address: 4035 JHZ
Phone: (616) 331-3296
Email: [email protected]
B.A., Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA)
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D. is Vice President for the Division of Inclusion and Equity at Grand Valley State University. Dr. Bernal joined Grand Valley in February 2015 and oversees the university’s coordinated efforts to advance diversity and campus climate. Previously, Dr. Bernal coordinated systemwide diversity and inclusion initiatives for 10 campuses and five medical centers at the University of California as systemwide Diversity Coordinator at the Office of the President, where he also served as co-PI for the University's 2013 campus climate assessment, thought to be the largest assessment of its kind in higher education. He has also served as a consultant on numerous organizational climate assessment projects at other institutions, and presented nationally on "Best Practices in Action-Oriented Campus Climate Assessments. His current active research focuses on inclusive hiring practices for faculty and staff in higher education and campus climate for Latino and LGBT undergraduates.