Is the Campus Climate Survey accurate?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Grinnell College
1

<p>In looking through recent issues of the Scarlet & Black I came across some very disturbing information about the Grinnell campus which came out in the Campus Climate Survey.</p>

<p>From the Jan. 29 issue:</p>

<p>
[quote]
The Campus Climate survey came out in November and
presented the Grinnell community with some startling figures
when compared to our peer institutions. Alarming stats
included higher rates of feeling depressed, overwhelmed and
exhausted when compared to peer institutions, and widespread
discomfort with the employee-employer relationship.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>An article about the survey was in the Nov. 9 issue and included the following:</p>

<p>
[quote]
According to the report, racism, sexism,
heterosexism, institutional classism
and ableism reportedly all have a significant
impact on people’s daily lives. Only
about 63 percent of those who responded
to the survey identified as “comfortable”
or “very comfortable” on campus, notably
lower than many similar institutions
in the country. Roughly 30 percent of respondents
reported having been harassed
in some way due to prejudice and approximately
60 percent of students reported
witnessing some form of harassment.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
“These are the things we are talking
about, things that have existed for years
and years, but we didn’t have the data to
back it up,” Burrows said.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
Thomas mentioned in particular the number of unreported
cases of sexual assault—of those who responded to
the survey, nearly 30 percent of those who responded said
they had been sexually assaulted—and the general discomfort
expressed by many staff members about how they
were treated due to their place in the Grinnell hierarchy.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I find all of this very disturbing and disappointing because we absolutely loved what we saw of Grinnell when we visited last summer and it became one of my son's top 3 colleges.</p>

<p>Would any current or recent students please give your input and opinion on these findings? </p>

<p>S would love to attend Grinnell, but I want him attend a college where students are treated with respect and are supportive of one another, and allowed to be themselves, which is what we thought Grinnell was. A similar set of problems was a reason that a well-respected NE LAC fell completely off S's list.</p>

<p>Please share your thoughts. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I am an international student who got an offer recently. I believe every college has such problems, not only Grinnell. After all, you cannot expect all the people to be nice and friendly. As far as I know, Grinnell is self-governed so it tends to have more “freedom”. </p>

<p>Here is something else I found on the S&B:</p>

<p>There is misrepresentation of the comments I made to the S&B regarding the number of cases of sexual assault reported in the climate assessment. This mistake was published in your story entitled “Campus Climate assessment brings to light the concerns of marginalized groups.” I mentioned that roughly 30 percent of our community (a little over 700) completed the campus climate survey. Of those who completed the survey, 28 people reported that they had been sexually assaulted, which is roughly four percent of those who responded. The published story mistakenly reports that 30 percent of the people who responded to the survey had been sexually assaulted, which is not what the data supports. We must be clear about what the climate assessment data demonstrates. With that said, in no ways do I mean to lessen the trauma felt by those 28 members of our community who report they have been sexually assaulted. Four percent is four percent too many.</p>

<p>and this:</p>

<p>On Monday at 8 p.m. in the Forum South Lounge Sue Rankin of Rankin & Associates Consulting presented the results of her Campus Climate Assessment to a crowd of about 150 students (see p. 1). Her presentation reiterated many concerns that a number of students on campus have voiced about the level of acceptance on the Grinnell College campus.</p>

<p>Dr. Rankin presented statistics that dispelled myths and enlightened attendees about the actual levels of discrimination that occur on campus. For example, she cited survey data that indicated faculty, staff and students from traditionally marginalized groups reportedly experience harassment and discrimination than those from majority groups. Students, faculty and staff of color, sexual minorities, people with physical and psychological disabilities and people of lower socioeconomic standing are all among the groups that responded through the survey that Rankin and her associates distributed last year. </p>

<p>The results of the survey confirmed that Grinnell is not as much of a warm, protective bubble as it is often claimed to be. As much as we call ourselves a progressive and liberal college oriented towards social justice, that is not an inherent quality. Grinnell cannot be such an institution without consistent hard work on the part of its students, faculty and staff to initiate and have open discussions, no matter how seemingly uncomfortable they may be, about issues regarding class, race, gender and ableism.</p>

<p>With these newly published statistics at hand, we should all be thinking about how we, as individuals, can better foster a more accepting and aware campus environment and how we can initiate these often difficult, but ultimately beneficial conversations. We can’t just rely on groups like AJust and No Limits to do all the leg-work for the entire campus—we should all be active in our everyday interactions, whether that be in class, at lunch or on Mac Field. </p>

<p>It doesn’t take any large changes in our daily routines, but it does take an intentional effort on the part of the greater campus community to challenge instances of oppression as they arise.</p>

<p>Hope these may help.</p>

<p>Kevin</p>

3

<p>I’d like to read more about this, but when I googled “campus climate survey” and grinnell, I only found an article on employee/employee issues which the school is addressing appropriately, it seems.</p>

<p>Thanks for the clarification about 30% vs. 4% on sexual harassment. 30% sounded like the Fishhook scandal. What intrigued me was that 60% of the students witnessed harassment but only 4% experienced it. This suggests that it must be happening very publically. I’d like to understand this better. Are Grinnell students more likely to be offended by harassment, and thus report witnessing it? (The expected result of a more aware student body.) Or is it happening more often than at comparable schools like Oberlin and Carleton? (And who did they identify as the comparables here?) </p>

<p>60% is a lot, in any case, and I’m also wondering what the school is doing to address this. Certainly, if you witness harassment, the cultural norm should be strongly supportive of calling it out, whether the target is offended or not. </p>

<p>I’m not surprized that more Grinnell students are stressed than comparable schools-the school has a reputation for working its students very hard-but depressed? Again, compared to whom? And what action is the school taking?</p>

4

<p>Kevin, thanks for the updates and corrections. Do you recall which issue that article was in?</p>

<p>M’s Mom – the original article stated that 30% of respondents had been harassed “in some way due to prejudice”, and that 60% had witnessed harassment. The correction which Kevintoy found stated that approximately 4% of respondents had been sexually assaulted. Just wanting to clarify.</p>

<p>I am hoping to get more feedback from current students or parents. Anyone?</p>

5

<p>I find this hard to believe. The year my son was applying to colleges, Carleton had an amazingly high percentage of sexual assaults listed on a college security website. Higher than major party schools all over the country. I have to think that students at these tiny schools report more and are taken more seriously.</p>

6

<p>I’m not intending to minimize the results either. One case of harrassment or assault is too many. My son experiences it as a very warm, accepting place, but he’s not a member of any minority group.</p>

7

<p>Here is the link to the actual campus climate report. <a href=“http://www.grinnell.edu/files/downloads/Grinnell_Campus%20Climate_March%20Final%20Draft.pdf[/url]”>http://www.grinnell.edu/files/downloads/Grinnell_Campus%20Climate_March%20Final%20Draft.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you have concerns, the report is worth looking at. (all 138 pages of it)</p>

<p>I think it is notable that
“88% (n = 339) of students were “highly satisfied” or “satisfied” with their education at Grinnell College. Slightly lower percentages of Students of Color and sexual minority students were satisfied with their educations at Grinnell College than were other students.” </p>

<p>84.8% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they felt valued by faculty in the classroom.</p>

<p>Looking at the cited statistic that “Only about 63 percent of those who responded
to the survey identified as “comfortable” or “very comfortable” on campus” I think it is worth mentioning that only 53% of survey respondents were students. The rest were faculty, salaried and hourly staff. I could not find a breakdown by category of respondents–ie students, hourly staff, etc., although it might be in there somewhere. </p>

<p>Of the 30% of respondents who reported harassment, “Greater percentages of staff respondents (42%, n = 27) were harassed than were other respondents. Additionally, 50% (n = 18) of staff non-exempt and 64% (n = 27 ) staff exempt that were harassed said the conduct was based on their position at Grinnell College.” </p>

<p>19% of students reported experiencing harassment based on their status. </p>

<p>I encourage you to check this out. Interesting information.</p>

8

<p>^^^ Thank you for posting that link, Dairy State K8. The report seems very thorough in the topics it covered, but I wish alcohol use/abuse, its consequences and student perceptions of it had been included.</p>

<p>I will share this info with my son – hopefully it will spawn some useful conversation. Thanks again.</p>