IDEA Council Subcommittee Co-Chairs Discuss Importance of Campus Climate Survey

We are pleased to share that the 2023 Campus Climate Survey for Diversity and Inclusion will be conducted from February 6 to February 25. We hope that every single person who studies and/or works at any of our campuses (e.g., West Haven, Orange, Prato, etc.) during the spring 2023 semester takes 10 to 15 minutes to participate and then encourages their fellow students, colleagues, and friends at the University to do the same.

Since conducting our last Campus Climate Survey for Diversity and Inclusion in spring 2021, individuals, offices, and departments across the University have been working to implement the recommendations reflected across seven themes in the report:

• Developing DEIAB Capacity and Transparency among University Leadership
• Standardizing Communications/Shared Language
• Building Community and Clarifying Engagement Expectations
• Reporting Bias Incidents and Disciplinary Outcomes
• Expanding Dialogues, Trainings, and Education related to DEIAB
• Maximizing Hiring and Retention Strategies
• Structuring Campus-Wide Data/Assessment Practices

Most successfully, the campus has taken steps to increase the transparency of DEIAB initiatives through the release of an inaugural DEIAB report in 2022. Additionally, new efforts have been initiated to build the capacity of DEIAB leadership on campus. All DEIAB reports are available through myCharger.

In addition to the members of the IDEA Council, DEIAB leadership around campus now exists as part of every academic colleges’ DEI committee, in the Provost's Office, through the Myatt Center, and on the Undergraduate Student Government Association and Graduate Student Council E-boards.

Another area of growth has been the intentional focus on recognizing more cultural events, such as celebrations, commemorations, and remembrances. Students, staff, and faculty have amplified the representation of cultures experienced around campus and invited all to join the events.

Lastly, through the assistance of Associate Vice President of Institutional Research Nick LaMendola, the usefulness and accessibility of DEIAB data to key stakeholders has improved. Through his creation of Tableau dashboards and targeted presentations, decision-makers are closer to the important findings captured from the thousands of responses received.

For the 2023 campus climate survey, we are pleased to share there are more than $3,000 of incentives are being offered to those who participate. We encourage you to complete the survey early to increase your likelihood of winning one of our coveted prizes: $50 gift cards, early slots in the room-selection process for 2023-24, a month-long parking pass for the Maxcy lot, and more. Incentive winners will be announced every Sunday in the Weekly Gallop and Weekly Roundup emails.

Upon completing the Campus Climate Survey, University community members are taken to a second survey where you can indicate your interest in being included in random drawings for the incentives that are available as well as to being notified about affinity groups and to indicate your interest in volunteering for future focus groups on DEIAB topics.

Please note that while email addresses are input into the system so that it can manage our outreach initiatives, every Campus Climate Survey submission is anonymous, meaning no names or other personal identifiers are captured anywhere.

Thank you for your participation and for your commitment to cultivating an atmosphere on campus that enables all of us to excel.

For more information on the Campus Climate Survey or to get involved in the work of the IDEA Council’s Assessment Subcommittee, email Dr. Danielle T. Cooper at DCooper@newhaven.edu.