University Of California Santa Barbara Final Report - UCOP

Rankin & Associates ConsultingUC Campus Climate Assessment ProjectUC Santa Barbara Final Report – March 20142. Several constituent groups indicated that they were less comfortable with theoverall campus climate, workplace climate, and classroom climate Staff respondents were less comfortable when compared with Faculty andPost-Doctoral Scholar respondents with the overall campus climate at UCSanta Barbara and the with the climate in their departments/work units. Respondents with disabilities were less comfortable with the overallclimate, with the workplace climate, and with the climate in their classesthan were respondents without disabilities. Multi-Minority respondents and Other People of Color respondents wereless comfortable than Underrepresented Minority respondents and Whiterespondents and with the overall climate, the workplace climate, and theclassroom climate. White respondents were more comfortable with theclimate in their classes than other racial groups.3. A small but meaningful percentage of respondents experienced unwantedsexual contact 8% of respondents believed they had experienced unwanted sexual contactwhile at UC Santa Barbara within the last five years (n 632). Subsequentanalyses of the data revealed the following: Of those respondents, 569 were Undergraduate Students (13% of allUndergraduate Students) and 21 were Graduate/Professional Students(2% of all Graduate/Professional Students). By gender identity: 18% of Women Undergraduates (n 493), 5% ofMen Undergraduates (n 69), and 33% of Genderqueer Undergraduates(n 13) experienced unwanted sexual contact.Additional findings disaggregated by position and other selected demographiccharacteristics are provided in more detail in the full report.The findings are consistent with those found in higher education institutions across thecountry based on the work of the consultant (Rankin & Associates, 2013). For example,70% to 80% of all respondents in similar reports found the campus climate to bevi

Rankin & Associates ConsultingUC Campus Climate Assessment ProjectUC Santa Barbara Final Report – March 2014“comfortable” or “very comfortable.” A slightly higher percentage of all surveyrespondents reported that they were “comfortable” or “very comfortable” with theclimate at UC Santa Barbara (84%). Additionally, 20% to 25% in similar reports believedthat they had personally experienced exclusionary, intimidating, offensive and/or hostileconduct. At UC Santa Barbara, 23% of respondents believed that they had personallyexperienced exclusionary, intimidating, offensive and/or hostile conduct. The results alsoparallel the findings of other climate studies of specific constituent groups offered in theliterature (Guiffrida, Gouveia, Wall, & Seward, 2008; Harper & Quaye, 2004; Harper, &Hurtado, 2007; Hurtado & Ponjuan, 2005; Rankin & Reason, 2005; Sears, 2002; Settles,Cortina, Malley, & Stewart, 2006; Silverschanz, Cortina, Konik, & Magley, 2008; Yosso,Smith, Ceja, & Solórzano, 2009).iUndergraduate Student refers to students who were taking classes at a UC campus when the surveywas administered who had not yet completed a bachelor’s degree.iiGraduate/Professional Student refers to students who were taking classes at a UC campus when thesurvey was administered who had completed a bachelor’s degree and were in one of the following statuses:non-degree, certificate/teacher credential program candidate, Master’s degree student, Doctoral degreestudent (Ph.D., Ed.D.), and Professional degree student (e.g., MD, JD, MBA)iiiFaculty refers to a UC employee in one of the following statuses: Faculty Administrator (e.g. ViceProvost, Dean, Department Chair, Director), General Campus Faculty, and Health Sciences CampusFacultyivStaff refers to a UC employee in one of the following statuses: Non-Union, Union, and OtherAcademic Series (e.g., Librarian, Continuing Educator, Reader, Research titles)vPostdoctoral scholars refers to individuals holding a doctoral degree who are engaged in a temporaryperiod of mentored research and/or scholarly training for the purpose of acquiring the professional skillsneeded to pursue a career path of his or her choosing. This includes both Employees and Paid-Directs.Trainees refer to Health Science campus Residents/Fellows/Housestaff/Interns - including Post MD andPost-MD II-IV and Chief Post MD-Officer.viTransgender was defined for this project as an umbrella term referring to those whose gender identity(a person’s inner sense of being man, woman, both, or neither. One’s internal identity may or may not beexpressed outwardly, and may or may not correspond to one’s physical characteristics) or genderexpression (the manner in which a person outwardly represents gender, regardless of the physicalcharacteristics that might typically define the individual as male or female) is different from thattraditionally associated with their sex assigned at birth (refers to the assigning (naming) of the biologicalsex of a baby at birth). Self-identification as transgender does not preclude identification as male or female,nor do all those who might fit the definition self-identify as transgender. Here, those who chose to selfidentify as transgender have been reported separately in order to reveal the presence of a relatively newcampus identity that might otherwise have been overlooked.viiGenderqueer refers to a person whose gender identity is neither man nor woman, is between orbeyond genders, or is some combination of genders. This identity is usually related to or in reaction to thesocial construction of gender, gender stereotypes and the gender binary system. Some genderqueer peopleidentify under the transgender umbrella while others do not. Self-identification as genderqueer does notpreclude identification as male or female, nor do all those who might fit the definition self-identify astransgender. Here, those who chose to self-identify as genderqueer have been reported separately in orderto reveal the presence of a relatively new campus identity that might otherwise have been overlooked.vii

Rankin & Associates ConsultingUC Campus Climate Assessment ProjectUC Santa Barbara Final Report – March 2014viiiThe Underrepresented Minority variable includes African American/African/Black respondents,American Indian/Alaskan Native respondents, and Hispanic/Latino respondents AND individuals whochecked both the Underrepresented Minority and White responses.ixThe Other People of Color variable includes Asian/Asian American respondents, MiddleEastern/Southwest Asian/North African respondents, and Pacific Islanders AND individuals who checkedboth the Other People of Color and White responses.xThe Multi-Minority variable includes respondents who checked any of the responses included underthe aforementioned “Underrepresented Minority” and “Other People of Color” categories ANDrespondents who checked “Underrepresented Minority,” “Other People of Color,” and White.xiQuestioning refers to a person who questions his or her sexual identity or gender identity and does notnecessarily identify as definitively gay, for example.xiiAsexual refers to a person who does not experience sexual attraction. Unlike celibacy, which peoplechoose, asexuality is an intrinsic part of an individual.xiiiThe Christian Affiliation variable includes respondents who chose any Christian religious/spiritualaffiliation.xivThe Other Religious/Spiritual Affiliation variable includes respondents who chose Buddhist,Confucianist, Druid, Hindu, Jain, Native American Traditional Practitioner, Pagan, Rastafarian,Scientologist, Secular Humanist, Shinto, Sikh, Taoist, Unitarian Universalist, and Wiccan.xvThe Muslim variable includes respondents who chose Ahmadi Muslim, Muslim, Shi’ite, Sufi, andSunni.xviThe Jewish variable includes respondents who chose Jewish Conservative, Jewish Orthodox, andJewish Reform.xviiThe No Affiliation variable includes respondents who chose agnostic; atheist; no affiliation; andspiritual, but no affiliation.xviiiThe Multiple Affiliations variable includes respondents who chose more than onespirituality/religious affiliation.viii

Rankin & Associates ConsultingUC Campus Climate Assessment ProjectUC Santa Barbara Final Report – March 2014IntroductionHistory of the ProjectThe University of California is dedicated to fostering a caring university community thatprovides leadership for constructive participation in a diverse, multicultural world. TheUniversity has a long history of supporting initiatives that foster an inclusive living,learning, and working environment. For example, in 1993 a University-wide campuscommunity task force offered A Declaration of Community that adopted seven principlesto assess the state of community at the University. “These principles, derived from thecore values which define and sustain the University, delineate both the individual's rightsand responsibilities that flow from being a member of the campus community, as well asdefine the community's obligations to its members” (Handel & Caloss, p.2). In 2006, aUniversity’s Board of Regents’ Study Group on University Diversity was established toexamine the current state of diversity and identify actions for improving diversity at theUniversity. The Study Group identified three key principles and policy recommendations.Acting on the initial set of recommendations, the Board of Regents affirmed the centralityof diversity to the University’s mission and the need for improvements in this area andadopted as University policy a Diversity Statement (Regents Policy 4400), which reads inpart: “Because the core mission of the University of California is to serve the interests ofthe State of California, it must seek to achieve diversity among its student bodies andamong its employees” (Parsky & Hume, 2007, p. E-1).One of five reports produced by the Study Group, the Campus Climate Report, offeredthat while a “number of studies have been conducted that address climate for a specificconstituent group (e.g., UCUES, 5 NSSE, 6 SERU, 7 HERI8), or at a specificcampus/location (e.g., UC Faculty Survey, UC Riverside Campus Climate Study), nodata currently exist that supports a conclusive understanding of the climate at any of ourcampuses and the system as a whole” (Study Group on University Diversity-CampusClimate Report, p. 5). The authors stated that the University “has not conducted or5678UCUES - University of California Undergraduate Experience SurveyNSSE – National Survey of Student EngagementSERU – Student Experience in the Research UniversityHERI – Higher Education Research Institute – Faculty Survey1

Rankin & Associates ConsultingUC Campus Climate Assessment ProjectUC Santa Barbara Final Report – March 2014reported any comprehensive assessments of campus climate without data andcomprehensive, sustained assessment, the source and significance of individualperceptions and anecdotes regarding climate cannot be quantified or understood” (StudyGroup on University Diversity, p. 12).In 2008, the Staff Diversity Council and the UC Regents Study Group on CampusClimate both recommended regular climate assessments. They reiterated the findingsfrom the 2007 report suggesting that the only system-wide data available is embedded inthe UC Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES), an instrument which is not designedto measure campus/location climate. Despite the fact that UCUES was not intended tospecifically survey campus/location climate, a small portion of the questions can beuseful in beginning to understand undergraduate students’ perceptions of climate. Forexample, UCUES can demonstrate certain behaviors and attitudes regarding interactionswith peers and faculty, perspectives on the level of tolerance on campus or at a specificlocation, and the impact of the UC experience on students’ appreciation for diversity,understanding of racial and ethnic differences, and awareness of their own ethnic identity.However, it was recommended that additional and more specific assessment means wereneeded to draw solid conclusions regarding campus/location climate for all members ofthe University community.In February 2010, UC experienced a wave of incidents that generated significantattention to the need of the University to actively and collaboratively addresscampus/location climate challenges and complex intergroup dynamics. In early February2010, members of a UC San Diego fraternity held an off-campus party mocking BlackHistory Month. Later that same month at UCSD, a noose was discovered hanging from alamp on a bookshelf in the Geisel Library at the University. The incidents sparkedstudent and community demonstrations and calls for changes in the campus climate. Inlate February 2010, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center atUC Davis experienced acts of vandalism – the entrance to the Center was defaced withderogatory and hateful words that target the LGBT community. In response, thenPresident Mark G. Yudof formed a UC Advisory Council to the President on Campus2

Rankin & Associates ConsultingUC Campus Climate Assessment ProjectUC Santa Barbara Final Report – March 2014Climate, Culture, and Inclusion which included the appointment of several prominentCalifornians long associated with the struggle for equal rights and representatives fromUC’s faculty, administration, student body, alumni, and the local community. TheAdvisory Council was charged to identify, evaluate, and share best practices in order toensure a welcoming, inclusive and nurturing environment across UC’s campuses. TheAdvisory Council was asked to look broadly at other institutions, both public and private,in higher education and elsewhere, and to examine policies across the state and thenation. The President also directed each of UC’s Chancellors to create similar advisorycouncils at the campus level, which would set metrics, monitor progress, and reportregularly to the system-wide Advisory Council. While most campuses/locations alreadyhad existing bodies that do this work on an ongoing basis, then-President Yudof askedthem to redouble their efforts and, in some instances, adjust their mission or compositionto be more broadly inclusive.The Advisory Council revitalized discussions on the need for a comprehensive andregularized tool that can provide campus/location climate metrics for students, faculty,and staff across the system. The Advisory Council reviewed analysis that had beenconducted by a UC Office of the President committee on nearly 50 assessment tools andfindings that had been conducted across the UC system which include somecampus/location climate or diversity indicators, in addition to reviewing efforts by otherUniversities to conduct comprehensive climate studies. The review resulted in theidentification of seven best practices in University campus/location climate studies:1.2.3.4.5.6.7.Conduct a full study, not just a survey.Study should be comprehensive, including all constituent groups.Administer follow-up regularly.Administered by an external agency.Solicit significant input from internal constituencies.Develop communications plan.Develop action plan.Particularly important in the review of best practices was the need for external expertisein survey administration. In the committee’s assessment, administration of a surveyrelating to a very sensitive subject like campus/location climate is likely to yield higher3

Rankin & Associates ConsultingUC Campus Climate Assessment ProjectUC Santa Barbara Final Report – March 2014response rates and provide more credible findings if led by an independent, outsideagency. Staff may feel particularly inhibited to respond honestly to a survey administeredby their own institution for fear of retaliation.Following a national vetting, Rankin & Associates (R&A) was identified as a leader inconducting multiple studies examining multiple identities in higher education. Followingpresentations to the President and his Cabinet, the Chancellors, and the Advisory Councilon Campus Climate, Culture, and Inclusion, the UC Office of the President contractedwith R&A to facilitate a system-wide climate assessment.The system-wide assessment was further evidence of the University’s commitment toensuring that all members of the community live in an envir

Description of the Sample at UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Barbara community members completed 8,193 surveys for an overall response rate of 30%. Response rates by constituent group varied: 23% for Undergraduate Students (n 4,287), 39% for Graduate/Professional Students (n 1,141), 69% for Post-Docs (n 149), 62% for Non-Union Staff (n