As part of the University’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, on September 18 the President’s Cabinet announced the U of R has engaged the Diverse Learning Environments Survey to measure the campus climate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here is the text of that announcement.
A committee, composed of Naslund Endowed Dean of the School of Education Mario Martinez, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Officer Christopher Jones, and Vice President for Advancement Tamara Josserand, has been working to review the options for a diversity and inclusion campus climate survey. Thanks to their work, today we announce the University has moved forward with the Diverse Learning Environments Survey developed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to help us assess the culture across the U of R and evaluate where change is necessary.
The Diverse Learning Environments Survey is a national questionnaire designed to capture perceptions regarding the institutional climate, learning outcomes, and campus practices as experienced with faculty, staff, and peers. Conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, the surveys are used by institutions across the nation, so benchmark data will be available to help interpret results.
At the U of R, the faculty survey will launch in mid-October. The student and staff surveys will follow in early winter. We anticipate initial, U of R-specific analysis to occur in early spring, and benchmarked data from UCLA to be available in July 2021.
As we move forward, Martinez, Jones, and Josserand will also work with an advisory council for climate and culture consisting of faculty, students, and staff to help chart the University’s path forward in the climate work, encouraging participation in the surveys, contextualizing and talking about emerging results, and providing general counsel on recommendations and action plans.
[Students, faculty, and staff/administrators] should look out for additional emails, with links to a survey. Thank you for your interest and future participation!
For more information on the University’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work, see the Racial Equity Resources page and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion FAQ page.
