SPU is conducting a campus climate survey, October 25 through November 15.
Have questions? See the FAQ's below.
Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS)
Diversity and Campus Climate Survey at Seattle Pacific University
What is this survey?
The HEDS Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey will create a comprehensive view of SPU's campus climate regarding diversity and equity. It will measure perceptions of SPU's climate, perceptions of how SPU supports diversity and equity, and experiences with discrimination and harassment. The survey will be the largest ever climate assessment at SPU for all students, staff, faculty, administrators, and trustees.
Why are we doing this survey?
Studies have shown that routinely assessing campus climate is an integral component of building toward diversity and equity, allowing institutions to effectively identify areas of strength and improvement over time. We want to know how you are experiencing the SPU environment so that we can create actionable steps towards building a more inclusive and equitable SPU.
Why now?
The last campus climate survey at SPU was administered to students in 2017, and we are committed to maintaining our current 4-year assessment cycle. Also, given the important conversations taking place on campus this year, it is important to understand the range of experiences, concerns, and opportunities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion at SPU.
How will I receive the survey?
You will receive an email invitation from SeattlePacific@hedsconsortium.org that has a link to the survey on Qualtrics, where you will input your SPU email address to access the survey. You do not need to be on campus or connected to the SPU VPN to take the survey.
When will the survey be administered and how long will it take?
The survey will open on October 25 and be available through November 15. The survey takes, on average, 15 minutes to complete.
Who is participating in this survey? Do I have to participate?
All students, staff, faculty administrators, and trustees of SPU will have an opportunity to participate in the HEDS survey. Participation is voluntary. You should not feel pressured to participate but, since this is a great chance for you to be heard, we encourage your participation. Also, you may skip any questions and/or stop taking the survey at any time. If you wish to stop taking the survey, simply leave the survey without hitting the “submit” button at the end.
What if the survey brings up strong emotions or memories for me?
The following resources are available to members of the SPU campus community:
How will SPU use the survey results?
Information from this survey will be used to develop a better understanding of the extent to which the SPU campus climate supports diversity. The Office of Inclusive Excellence will hold feedback sessions with various stakeholder groups on campus to discuss survey findings, and students, faculty, staff, and administrators will be invited to participate in the development of post-survey action initiatives. Results will help to inform and improve campus-wide efforts related to diversity and inclusion, including those to prevent or respond to discrimination and harassment.
| Project Timeline |
|
|
|
| Autumn Quarter 2021 |
Winter Quarter 2022 |
Spring Quarter 2022 |
Autumn Quarter 2022 |
| Implement survey |
Share results |
Identify action steps |
Begin implementation of action steps |
What about confidentiality and anonymity?
The survey is being administered through HEDS, an outside third-party vendor. HEDS is the only entity that can access or view raw survey data and individual responses. HEDS secures your survey data and participant information using Qualtrics, a survey engine, and end-to-end encryption via SendSafely. The Qualtrics’ security statement is available here. More information about SendSafely is available here.
HEDS takes multiple precautions to ensure confidentiality of respondents in administering the survey and delivering the survey results to SPU. The data given to SPU will not include personal information. Any identifiable information is removed and/or response options are combined into broader categories in order to maintain the confidentiality and anonymity of respondents. Details on how HEDS ensures confidentiality can be found here.
But what if I enter the drawing for one of five $50 Amazon gift cards? Won’t my identity be known?
By providing your information for the drawing, you are revealing that you participated in the survey. However, your responses will not be linked to your name.
How can I get more information?
If you have questions, you may contact Sandra Mayo, Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence, at mayos@spu.edu.
Posted: Thursday, October 21, 2021