UW-Eau Claire

Climate Assessment

Project Overview

September 18, 2009

Participating Institutions 2008-2009

University of Wisconsin Colleges University of Wisconsin-La CrosseUniversity of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeUniversity of Wisconsin-OshkoshUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

2009-2010 Participating Institutions

University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-ParksideUniversity of Wisconsin-River FallsUniversity of Wisconsin-Whitewater

How Did We Get Here?

Why Assess?

What is the Process?

Where Do We Start?

Assessing Institutional Climate

Process to Date2004-2005

Academic Planner (C. Saulnier) made aware of bias incidents at several campuses & began conversation regarding systemwide campus climate project

Taskforce committee formed to investigate consulting firms who conduct climate assessments in higher education.

Rankin & Associates identified as leading expert in multiple identity studies in higher education

Process to Date2005-2006

Conversations at system level continued

Proposal presentation made to UWS Provosts and various constituent groups in Madison in September 2006

Process to Date2006-2007

UWS Administrators form Climate Study Working Group (CSWG) Conducted in-depth interviews with other higher

education institutions who had contracted with R&A resulting in very positive reviews

In collaboration with R&A identified potential fact-finding groups and developed protocol

Identified “next steps” in process

Process to Date 2006-2007

President Reilly pledges support for the project and agrees to finance 75% of the costs

Project Co-Chairs and Project Coordinator named Vicki Washington (Co-Chair, CSWG)

Interim Assistant Vice President of the Office of Academic Development and Diversity, UW System Administration

Ed Burgess (Co-Chair, CSWG)

Department of Dance, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Lisa Beckstrand (Project Coordinator)

Academic Planner, Director of Inclusivity Initiative, Office of Academic & Student Services, UW System Administration

CSWG Tier I – Climate Study Working GroupDLC’s - Diversity Leadership Committee

CSWG Tier I (members from participating institutions) met once a month from December 2007 -September 2008

DLC’s on each campus were developed and provided feedback to their representatives on the CSWG

Created Survey Template to be used by all UW System participating institutions

CSWG Tier II – Climate Study Working GroupDLC Tier II- Diversity Leadership Committee

CSWG Tier II (members from participating institutions) met once a month from December 2008-September 2009

Initial meeting included representatives from the Tier I institutions

Discussed suggested revisions to the survey template offered by participating DLC’s on each campus to the survey template

Discussed DLC communication/marketing plans

Discussed application process for IRB proposals

DLC’s on each campus were developed and provided feedback to their representatives on the CSWGAssisted with survey template’s revisions to contextually “fit” respective campus

Developed the marketing & communication plan for the survey

Will assist with the implementation & delivery of the survey tool

Will provide information and survey updates to the campus community

UW-Eau Claire DLC(Chancellor's Diversity Advisory Commission)

Carol Accola, Learning and Technology Services

Jesse Dixon, Director of Office of Multicultural

Affairs

Kirby Harless, Residence Hall Director, Sutherland

Kathy Hurley, Director, Disability Services

Marquell Johnson, Assistant Professor of

Kinesiology

Don Mowry, Director, Service Learning Center (PI)

Teresa O'Halloran (Chair), Assistant to the

Chancellor for Affirmative Action

 

Sue Peck, Professor of NursingJill Pinkney Pastrana, Associate Professor of Education Jill Prushiek, Academic Program Director, Foundations of EducationDavid Shih, Associate Professor of English and Equity Diversity and Inclusivity FellowRama Yelkur, Professor of Management, International Business Program Coordinator

 

Why conduct a climate assessment?

To foster a caring campus community that provides leadership for constructive participation in a diverse, multicultural world. To open the doors wider for underrepresented groups is to create a welcoming environment.To improve the environment for working and learning on campus.

University of Wisconsin System Mission

The mission of the system is to develop human resources, to discover and disseminate knowledge, to extend knowledge and its application beyond the boundaries of its campuses and to serve and stimulate society by developing in students heightened intellectual, cultural and humane sensitivities, scientific, professional and technological expertise and a sense of purpose. Inherent in this broad mission are methods of instruction, research, extended training and public service designed to educate people and improve the human condition. Basic to every purpose of the system is the search for truth.

Core Mission of the University Cluster

…“Serve the needs of women, minority, disadvantaged, disabled, and nontraditional students and seek racial and ethnic diversification of the student body and the professional faculty and staff.”

Chancellor's Diversity Advisory Commission Diversity Statement

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire recognizes diversity as one of its highest priorities in its ongoing mission of excellence. We believe in the importance of acknowledging and engaging with differences-those of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social and economic class, ability/disability, age, religion, and more-within our campus community and academic work.

In addition to signaling a safe and welcoming environment, a diverse campus and curriculum broadens and deepens the educational experience for our students. Students who encounter and interact with difference on campus will enhance their social competencies and the communication skills that they need to develop into productive and ethical participants within a pluralistic world. As an institution committed to the values of liberal education, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire encourages the learning that results from dialogues animated by diverse perspectives.

Achieving a diverse campus community is the first step toward a meaningful incorporation of diversity into the culture of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Therefore, we are dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of a diverse student body, faculty, staff, and administration. In the same spirit, we support the diverse teaching and research activity of our instructors. By making this full and accountable pledge to justice, respect, and equity among all people, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire strives toward its mark of institutional excellence.

Source: http://www.uwec.edu/diversity/statement.htm

Project Objectives

Provide participating institutions with information, analysis, and recommendations as they relate to campus climate.

This information will be used in conjunction with other data to provide participating institutions with an inclusive view of their campus and a system-wide review.

Projected Outcomes

Participating institutions will add to their knowledge base with regard to how constituent groups currently feel about their particular campus climate and how the community responds to them (e.g., pedagogy, curricular issues, professional development, inter-group/intra-group relations, respect issues)Participating institutions will use the results of the assessment to inform current/on-going work regarding diversity (e.g., Access to Success Initiative, Plan 2008, Equity Scorecard; Inclusive Excellence)

Setting the Context

Examine the Research Review work already completed

Preparation Readiness of the campus

Assessment Examine the climate

Follow-up Building on the successes and addressing the challenges

Research on Climate In Higher Education

Campus climate not only affects creating knowledge, but also impacts members of academic community who, in turn, contribute to creating campus environment (Hurtado, 2003; Milem, Chang, & antonio, 2005).Preserving climate that offers equal learning opportunities for all students and academic freedom for all faculty – an environment free from discrimination – is a primary responsibility of educational institutions.

Value of Campus Climate on Enhancing Learning Outcomes

Numerous studies and publications have confirmed the pedagogical value of a diverse student body and faculty on enhancing learning outcomes.

Selected research references include: Frank W. Hale, Jr. (2004). What Makes Racial Diversity Work in Higher Education,

Diversity Digest, Sterling, VA: Stylus. Harper, S.R., & Quaye, S.J. (2004). Taking seriously the evidence regarding the

effects of diversity on student learning in the college classroom: A call for faculty accountability. UrbanEd, 2(2), 43-47.

Harper, S.R. & Hurtado, S. (2007). Nine themes in campus racial climates and implications for institutional transformation. New Directions for Student Services, 120, 7-24.

Hurtado, S. (2003). Preparing college students for a diverse democracy: Final report to the U.S. Department of Education. Ann Arbor, MI: Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education.

Current Campus Climate

Access

Retention

Research

Scholarship

Curriculum Pedagogy

UniversityPolicies/Service

Intergroup &IntragroupRelations

Transformational Tapestry Model©

Baseline Organizational

Challenges

SystemsAnalysis

Local / Sate /Regional

Environments

Contextualized Campus Wide Assessment

AdvancedOrganizational

Challenges

ConsultantRecommendations

Assessment

Transformationvia

Intervention

FiscalActions

Symbolic Actions

AdministrativeActions

EducationalActions

Transformed Campus Climate

Access

Retention

Research

Scholarship

Curriculum Pedagogy

UniversityPolicies/Service

Intergroup &IntragroupRelations

© 2001

External Relations

External Relations

PHASE I

Systemwide Fact-Finding

GroupsConducted September 28-29, 2007

Fact-Finding Groups

To identify baseline system-wide and institutional challenges

To assist in developing survey questions

Fact-Finding Groups

Inclusive of faculty, staff, and students from various constituent groups

Climate Study Working Group (CSWG), Status of Women, Women’s Studies, Multicultural Coordinators, Chief Student Affairs Officers, LGBTQ students, LGBTQ faculty/staff, Multicultural Students, Academic Staff Representatives, Equity Scorecard, Faculty/Staff of Color, Faculty Representatives, Women students, CSSD/ADA, Students with Disabilities, Student Representatives, International Students

PHASE II

Assessment Tool

Development and Implementation

Survey Instrument

Final instrument Quantitative questions and additional space for respondents to provide commentary

On-line or paper & pencil options

Sample = PopulationAll members of each institution are invited to participate via an invitation letter from the Chancellor

Communication/Marketing Plan

Preparing Your Institution

Talking PointsIncentives Invitation LetterSubsequent Invitations to Participate

Institutional Review Board

IRB Proposal for each participating institution

PI from each institutionUW-Eau Claire – Donald Mowry, Professor of Social WorkUW-Parkside – Mary Kay Schleiter, Associate Professor of SociologyUW-River Falls – Travis Tubré, Professor of Psychology; Cyndi Kernahan, Professor of PsychologyUW-Whitewater – Barbara Monfils, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Representative from OPAR

PHASE III

Data Analysis

Sample Demographic Profile to Create Chi-Square Table Comparing

Demographics/Population & Sample

University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

Spring 2009

Faculty   Male Female   African American/ African/ American Indian/ Asian/Pacific Chicano(a)/ Middle White/

    Black Caribbean Alaskan Native/ Islander Latino(a)/ Eastern Caucasian

    Hawaiian Native Hispanic

                       

   

Professor    

   

   

Associate Professor    

   

   

Assistant Professor    

   

   

Instructor    

   

   Adjunct Faculty    

PHASE IV

Reports

(1)Institutional Reports

(2) Aggregate Report

Sample Table of Contents

Executive SummarySample Demographics/Quantitative Findings/Qualitative Findings

MethodsConceptual FrameworkDesign of the Study

ResultsPersonal ExperiencesPerceptions of ClimateInstitutional Actions

Sample Table of Contents

Next Steps

References

AppendicesAppendix A – Comments AnalysisAppendix B – Data TablesAppendix C – Survey Instrument

Questions..? Other Ideas..?

For more information

Susan R. Rankin, Principal

Rankin & Associates

sxr2@psu.edu

814-625-2780