Climate Surveys and Related Initiatives on Other Campuses

The Office of Quality Improvement maintains a collection of climate surveys used in institutions of higher education across the country. The following titles are included in a binder which may be checked out of the OQI library. URLs are provided where available.

University of Alabama Survey
For Faculty at the University of Alabama, 2000 Section IV of the annual survey of faculty satisfaction focuses on campus community. Soon to be web-based. See http://www.ua.edu/advancement/cqi/faculty.html

California State University, Hayward
Campus Climate at Cal State Hayward: A Report on Student Experiences of Diversity

Diversity is broadly defined to include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and age. The survey was one of three summaries of students views on climate—the others being on hour-long video on diversity at Cal State and a still photo exhibit. The following questions were posed in all three media: 1. How has the rapid increase in the enrollment of students of color affected inter- and intra-group relationships. 2. How has the demographic shift in student enrollment affected the curriculum, students services, faculty, staff and administration? How have campus social and cultural activities been affected by the presence of large numbers of people from diverse racial and cultural groups? 4. What are the predominant behavioral patterns among various campus groups in terms of isolation v. interaction, segregation v. integration, dispute v. harmony? 5. Which campus group is getting ahead, and which is falling behind? Questions reflected the definition of campus climate set forth by the California Postsecondary Education Commission. Survey instrument not available.

Cornell Information Technologies at Cornell University
Assessing the Quality of Work Life at Cornell Information Technologies, 2000

Survey objective is to identify major areas of strength and weakness in the quality of work life at CIT as perceived by employees. Nine categories studied include: climate/work environment, employee to employee, growth opportunities, job satisfaction, job value, salary, skills/job match/ treated fairly, trust of management

University of Michigan
Survey of Academic Climate and Activities

Paper and web-downloadable survey of tenured, tenure-track research, and clinical track faculty. Covers areas such as workload, service activities, resources, career satisfaction, recognition, productivity, and climate and collegiality (women, men, racial/ethnic minorities, religion groups).

Organizational Climate Questionnaire (OCQ)
Adapted from OCQ developed by: Adrian Furnham and Leonard D. Goodstein.

The 1997 Annual: Volume 2, Consulting / Pfeiffer. Not specifically for higher education, but includes questions about clarity of expectations, communication, feelings of respect and being valued, rewards and recognition, performance feedback, professional development, decision-making, innovation, planning for the future, flexibility and collaboration.

Pennsylvania State University
Penn State Telephone Survey administered to a sample of full-time faculty and staff regarding attitudes towards respondents’ jobs and the university, perceptions about rewards at the university, and open-ended items about what respondents like about Penn State and what they would like to see changed. See http://www.ohr.psu.edu/F&S_SURVEY/execsum.htm

Pennsylvania State University
Penn State Faculty and Staff Survey of Disability Knowledge

Web-based survey pursuant to a federal grant to improve the quality of services provided to students with disabilities, as well as enhance faculty and staff knowledge and ability to meet the needs of the students. See: http://www.ed.psu.edu/poa/poa.asp

Rutgers University
Rutgers Organizational Climate Inventory (OCI) 1999

Intended to assess faculty and staff thoughts and feelings about their work experience at Rutgers University. Assurances that that no survey data will be reported, even in the aggregate, where there are fewer than ten people responding from a single unit.

University of North Carolina—Charlotte
Campus Climate Survey

Intended to asses student engagement and views about campus physical environment and safety, sense of community and financial resources.

Villanova University
Community Climate Surveys, 1997 and 2000

Intended to assess faculty and staff perceptions of communication, satisfaction, collegial decision making, trust and respect, recognition and sense of community

University of Wisconsin-Stout
UW-Morale Survey. Intent is to determine the current level of morale, establish baseline data, and track changes in morale over time. Cover letter states, “Understanding how were personally experience our organization and our roles in it can help us improve work life and our success as an institution.” Administered every three years to all employees.

University of Wisconsin-Stout
One-Minute Cliamate Assessment Survey

Measures collegiality, trust and tolerance among faculty and staff at UW-Stout. Administered during the two years when the longer “Morale and Governance Evaluation survey is not administered.

University of Washington
Campus Climate Survey 1999

Focused on student experiences at the UW, their assessment of services provided by the University, and personal characteristics such as self-esteem, ethnic identity, and demographic information. See http://www.washington.edu/oea/9919.htm

University of Washington
Campus Climate Survey 2000

Study of undergraduate students, graduate and professional students and recent alumni was conducted as a follow-up to the 1999 study and more directly related to campus climate with less emphasis to psycho-social factors. See http://depts.washington.edu/asccp/campusclimatestudies.htm

To review these surveys, contact P.J. Barnes, Office of Quality Improvement, 199 Bascom Hall, phone 2-6843, E-mail: barnes@bascom.wisc.edu.

In addition to the surveys from OQI, check out these additional web resources:

American Association for Higher Education's (AAHE) Assessment Forum on Campus Climate
This is an extensive web site with links to books and articles, surveys, and other resources.

Diversity Web
A "comprehensive compendium of campus practices and resources about diversity in higher education that you can find anywhere. This site is designed to serve campus practitioners seeking to place diversity at the center of the academy’s educational and societal mission."

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