Climate surveys are a tool to better understand a community’s perspective on a given issue. Sexual misconduct climate surveys ask community members about their thoughts, opinions, and experiences with things like sexual assault and dating violence. This information is useful for organizations in planning to best serve and support their community members.

Climate refers to the perceptions, experiences, and interactions among individuals within an organization. In this specific instance, we are concerned about perceptions, experiences, and interactions among BU students as they pertain to sexual misconduct and harassment.

This survey is designed to measure our campus climate  regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence (sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking). Climate surveys have been identified as a best practice for universities to better understand the prevalence, affected populations, and awareness and use of resources related to sexual misconduct on their campuses. BU last implemented a sexual misconduct climate survey in 2019. This new survey will provide us with an updated view of the community.

We know from the research that thriving campus climates contribute directly to overall success for students, staff, and faculty. This information will help us better understand how members of our community experience harassment, bias, and a lack of support that can lead individuals to leave the Boston University community. This is an opportunity for you to ensure your voice is part of this effort.

This qualitative and quantitative research effort will allow us to better understand the experiences of our community. The survey is designed to assess perceptions and behaviors related to a wide range of issues regarding sexual harassment and violence that impact students. Gathering data about our students’ experiences, as well as our community’s perception(s) and knowledge around these issues, will better inform our efforts to end sexual harassment and violence at Boston University.

Undertaking this survey keeps the University in compliance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ mandate to conduct a student campus sexual misconduct climte survey no less than every four years. 

Boston University is dedicated to fostering a safe, respectful, and caring community. Every member of the BU community has a right to an education free from discrimination, and we are committed to ensuring that all students can fully benefit from the University’s programs and activities. It is critically important to create and maintain a community environment that respects every individual.

Invited participants will get an email from Rankin Climate with the subject line BU Student Sexual Misconduct Survey – $20 Incentive. This link is solely for the invited participant.

Over the fall 2023 semester, we developed the survey and prepared an Institutional Review Board (IRB) proposal, a process intended to ensure the safety of all survey participants. See below for further information on IRB approval.

In February and March 2024, we will administer the survey.

Behind the scenes, our consultant, Rankin Climate, will also analyze our institutional policies and procedures.

In summer 2024, we will conduct data analysis and begin to develop a report of the survey responses.

Results will be presented in fall 2024. At that time, we also will initiate our action planning, where results are used to improve existing programs and policies.

Boston University’s survey instrument was developed by the Administrator-Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative (ARC3), comprised of leading researchers in sexual harassment and violence, Title IX administrators, and student affairs professionals.

The ARC3 Survey was developed in response to the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault; it was designed to assess the perpetration and victimization of sexual misconduct on college campuses in the United States.

A committee is working to ensure the survey fully represents our campus and our community. The results will help BU better understand campus climate related to sexual misconduct, which is essential to maintaining a safe environment.

The survey questions are intended to gather a comprehensive picture of a campus’ climate regarding sexual violence issues.

The survey has been used by more than 300 colleges and universities in the United States, as well as internationally. It has been implemented by the state university systems of Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. It was also used by the entire university systems of Denmark and Ireland. Using such a widely implemented survey instrument allows BU to benchmark our responses against similar universities across the US.

It is important in campus climate research for survey participants to “see” themselves in response choices to prevent “othering” an individual or an individual’s characteristics. Some researchers maintain that assigning someone to the status of “other” is a form of marginalization and should be minimized, particularly in campus climate research, which has an intended purpose of inclusiveness.

Survey respondents will see a long list of choices for many demographic questions. Our goal is to reduce the number of respondents needing to choose “other,” however, it is impossible to include every possible choice to every question.

A small group of students (i.e., a sample) is randomly selected to take part in the survey. Only these selected students will be invited by email to complete the survey.

BU consulted with sexual misconduct professionals, social science researchers, and statisticians to identify the best method for surveying the student body. These experts unanimously agreed that the benefits of sampling outweigh the limitations. Taking a sampling approach reduces the number of students exposed to the sexual misconduct content, allows better compensation of those who do participate, and ensures that results of the study are statistically accurate to the BU student body. Students not chosen for the current sexual misconduct survey can utilize existing methods of sharing their opinions, including feedback forms provided by the Committee on Sexual Assault & 骚扰的预防, Equal Opportunity Office, Boston University Police Department, and Student Health Services.

Starting with all students enrolled in the spring 2024 semester, approximately 3,500 students will be randomly selected. Selection groups will be in proportion to the overall population in terms student level (i.e., undergraduate, graduate, or nondegree) and campus (i.e., Charles River Campus, Medical Campus, online, or other locations).

The target participation rate is 100% for all students invited to complete the survey. Every response matters and is valuable in providing the most beneficial feedback and results.

The purpose of conducting the survey is to assess student campus climate regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence and to identify successes and opportunities for improvement.

Rankin Climate will work with campus partners to synthesize and analyze the survey data. Boston University will be provided with an executive summary of findings from the survey and an interactive data-visualization tool. This data will be used by the Committee on Sexual Assault), with input from key campus constituencies (the Equal Opportunity Office, SARP, Dean of Students Office, and others) to create an action plan to further our efforts around sexual violence prevention and response.

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The data from the sexual misconduct climate survey will not be used for generalizable research or participation. However, the universities in the consortium plan to use the data for comparing results between schools (i.e., benchmarking).  

The primary investigator from Boston University for the IRB process is Linette Decarie, Assistant Vice President for Analytical Services & Institutional Research.  An IRB application was submitted for the project. Once the project is approved, the survey will be administered.

Participation in the survey is completely voluntary, and participants do not have to answer any question and can skip any other questions they consider to be uncomfortable. A sample of students aged 18 years or older enrolled for spring 2024 will be invited to complete the survey.

Confidentiality is vital to the success of the study; particularly as sensitive topics are discussed. The consultant will take measures to enhance confidentiality and the de-identification of data. No data already protected through regulation or policy (e.g., Social Security number, campus identification number, medical information) will be obtained through the survey. No personally identifiable information will be shared in any publication or presentation resulting from the assessment. 

Confidentiality will be maintained to the highest degree permitted by the technology used (e.g., IP addresses will be stripped when the survey is submitted). The survey is run on a firewalled web server with forced 256-bit SSL security. 

Information in the introductory section of the survey will describe the way confidentiality will be guaranteed, and additional communication to participants will provide expanded information on the nature of confidentiality, possible threats to confidentiality, and procedures developed to ensure de-identification of data.

Rankin Climate uses a research data security description and protocol, which includes specific information on data encryption, the handling of personally identifiable information, physical security and a protocol for handling unlikely breaches of data security. The data from online participants will be submitted to a secure server hosted by the consultant. 

All data will be stored with Rankin Climate in a combined dataset, alongside 250 other schools. Within the dataset, no data is directly tied to Boston University, and external data connecting it to BU will be deleted after six months

The consultant will provide the primary investigator with a data file at the completion of the project.

When we launch the survey in February 2024, if you are contacted, please complete the survey and encourage those in your community to do the same!

Visit bu.edu/csahp to find comprehensive information about Boston University’s sexual violence prevention and response, including information and recommendations to get involved in our work to combat sexual violence. Spread the word and help us ensure that our community is involved in this entire process.

Ensuring inclusive and equitable campus experiences for all members of the Boston University community requires us to deeply listen and understand these often disparate experiences. You can help us gather voices!

The committee is led by:

• Sue Kennedy, Associate Provost for Special Projects & Emerging Priorities
• Linette Decarie, Assistant Vice President, Analytical Services & Institutional Research

Other working group members include:

• Debbie Bazarsky, Director, LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff
• Nathan Brewer, Director, Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center
• Christine Collins, Associate General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
• Julia Cusano, Postdoctoral Associate, Occupational Therapy Department, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
• Deidre Fisher, Project Manager, Office of the Provost
• Kelly Ann Matos, Data Manager, Equal Opportunity Office
• Katharine Mooney, Director, Health Promotion & Prevention
• Emily Rothman, Professor and Chair of Occupational Therapy, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences; Professor of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health
• David Zamojski, Interim Senior Associate Dean of Students

In reviewing efforts by other universities to conduct comprehensive culture climate studies, several best practices were identified. One was the need for external expertise in survey administration. The administration of a survey relating to a very sensitive subject like culture climate is likely to yield higher response rates and provide more credible findings if led by an independent, outside agency. Members of a college community may feel particularly inhibited to respond honestly to a survey administered by their own institution for fear of retaliation.

After a review of potential vendors, the working group selected Rankin Climate. Rankin Climate has been working with college campuses for over 20 years and has conducted assessments on more than 230 college campuses nationwide. This project is advised by Dr. Kevin Swartout, one of the founding members of the ARC3 and a leader at Rankin Climate.

The process is highly confidential and transparent. No protected data is used in the project.