Campus Climate/Diversity Survey at Mississippi State University

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Campus Climate/Diversity Surveyat Mississippi
State University

• Linda Cox, Ph.D.
• Kristine Jacquin, Ph.D.
• Rosa Nigro, M.S.
• SAARC

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Campus Climate/Diversity Survey measures -
Student, faculty, and staff perceptions regarding
campus attitudes of prejudice and inclusion. -
Consumer knowledge and use of various campus
services.
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Questionnaires

• Two self-administered questionnaires -Students
• including four sections Demographic Section,
  Campus Atmosphere, Campus Experience, and
  Campus Service Section.
• -Faculty and staff
• composed of demographic, campus atmosphere, and
  campus service sections and administrated via
  the MSU web.
• -Closed-ended questions were used in a
  Likert-type question format

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Faculty and Staff / Students Survey Demographics
1. What is your gender? 2. What is your
ethnicity? 3. What is your affiliation to MSU? 4.
Did you live in Mississippi before you started
working at MSU? 5. What is your sexual
orientation? 6. What is your religious
affiliation, if any? 7. If you are Christian,
please indicate your denomination 8. How many
years of education have you completed?
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• Campus Atmosphere
• 1. MSU has a diverse (e.g., different ethnic
  groups, genders, religions, etc.) group of
  students.
• 2. It is important to me for MSU to have a
  diverse group of students.
• 3. MSU has a diverse group of faculty.
• 4. It is important to me for MSU to have a
  diverse group of faculty.
• 5. MSU has a diverse group of staff members.
• 6. It is important to me for MSU to have a
  diverse group of staff members.
• 7. There are a lot of staff and faculty at MSU
  who are like me.
• 8. I am comfortable spending time with people of
  other groups (e.g., different ethnicity,
  different religion, different sexual orientation,
  etc.).
• 9. I spend social time with people of other
  groups (e.g., different ethnicity, different
  religions, different sexual orientation, etc.).
• 10. At MSU, many people are prejudiced against
  women.
• 11. At MSU, many people are prejudiced against
  people who are not Caucasian (white).

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• 12. At MSU, many people are prejudiced against
  people who are gay or bisexual.
• 13. At MSU, many people are prejudiced against
  people who are not Christian.
• 14. At MSU, non-Caucasian (non-white) people are
  accepted, respected, and appreciated by most
  people.
• 15. At MSU, women are accepted, respected, and
  appreciated by most people.
• 16. At MSU, non-Christians are accepted,
  respected, and appreciated by most people.
• 17. At MSU, gay (homosexual) and bisexual people
  are accepted, respected, and appreciated by most
  people.
• 18. At MSU, I feel accepted, respected, and
  appreciated by people who are different from me.

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• 19. The phrase minority group is used to refer
  to a racial, ethnic, religious, political,
  national, or other group regarded as different
  from the larger group of which it is part. For
  example, African-Americans (blacks) are
  considered to be part of a minority group. As
  another example, people who are gay or bisexual
  are considered to be part of a minority group.
  Are you a member of a minority group?
• 20. I feel accepted, respected, and appreciated
  by most students at MSU.
• 21. I feel accepted, respected, and appreciated
  by most of the faculty at MSU.
• 22. I feel accepted, respected, and appreciated
  by most of the staff at MSU.

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• Campus Experience
• 1. I am confident that I will graduate from MSU
  within four years of matriculating (starting
  school at MSU).
• 2. I want to stay at MSU until I graduate because
  of the kinds of students who are here.
• 3. I want to stay at MSU until I graduate because
  of the faculty here.
• 4. I want to stay at MSU until I graduate because
  of the classes and majors offered here.
• I want to stay at MSU until I graduate because of
  the services on campus (e.g., health center, gym,
  counseling center, student union).
• 6. I want to stay at MSU until I graduate because
  it is more affordable than going someplace else.
• I want to stay at MSU until I graduate because of
  the recreational sports program and other
  extracurricular activities (e.g., clubs, Greek
  life, etc.) here.
• 8. How important are each of the following
  factors in determining whether you choose to stay
  at MSU until you graduate? Please rank each
  factor from 1 (most important reason to stay at
  MSU) to 6 (least important reason to stay at MSU).

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• 9. How important were each of the following
  factors in your choice to come to MSU? Please
  rank each factor from 1 (most important reason to
  choose MSU) to 6 (least important reason to
  choose MSU).
• 10. When I have a question about which classes to
  take or other academic questions, I know who to
  ask.
• 11. When I am having problems with my roommate or
  another person and I want help, I know where I
  can get help at MSU.
• When I am having trouble in a class, I ask for
  help from my professor or T.A.
• 13. If I am having a personal problem, I am
  likely to seek help from the MSU counseling
  center.
• 14. When I talk to a professor or staff member
  about a question I have, my questions are treated
  seriously and courteously.
• 15. During my free time, I am likely to stay on
  campus.
• 16. During my free time, I am likely to go
  someplace in Starkville.
• 17. During my free time, I am likely to go out of
  town.
• How important are each of the following factors
  in determining whether you choose to stay at MSU
  until you graduate?

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• 19. How important were each of the following
  factors in your choice to come to MSU?
• 20. When I have a question about which classes to
  take or other academic questions, I know who to
  ask.
• 21. When I am having problems with my roommate or
  another person and I want help, I know where I
  can get help at MSU.
• 22. When I am having trouble in a class, I ask
  for help from my professor or T.A.
• 23. If I am having a personal problem, I am
  likely to seek help from the MSU counseling
  center.
• 24. When I talk to a professor or staff member
  about a question I have, my questions are treated
  seriously and courteously.
• 25. During my free time, I am likely to stay on
  campus.
• 26. During my free time, I am likely to go
  someplace in Starkville.
• 27. I have financial problems that negatively
  impact my school performance.
• 28. If I were having financial problems, I would
  know where to turn for help.

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• Campus Services
• 1. Do you know the operating hours of the MSU
  Library?
• 2. How much do you know about the Media Center in
  the MSU Library?
• 3. Do you know that students, faculty, and staff
  are able to rent VHS and DVD movies from the MSU
  Library?
• 4. Do you know that students, faculty, and staff
  can rent digital cameras from the MSU library?
• 5. How much do you know about the MSU shuttle
  service?
• 6. Do you know where to get a map of the MSU
  shuttle routes?
• 7. Do you know the operating hours of the MSU
  shuttle service?
• 8. Do you know that the MSU shuttle service
  offers trips to off campus areas?
• 9. Do you know the locations of the blue light
  emergency call boxes?
• How much do you know about the MSU Police
  Departments safety services?
• 11. Do you know that the MSU Police Department
  offers a service to accompany members of the
  campus community to any on-campus location day or
  night, free of charge?

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• 12. Do you know where to go if you are
  temporarily disabled and you need a special
  parking pass?
• 13. Do you know about the MSU Health Center
  located on campus?
• 14. Do you know the operating hours of the MSU
  Health Center?
• 15. Do you know the operating hours of the MSU
  cafeteria?
• 16. Do you know about the Joe Frank Sanderson
  Center?
• 17. How much do you know about the Moneymate
  service?
• 18. Do you know the location of the Moneymate
  office?
• 19. Do you know that Moneymate can be used
  anywhere on campus?
• 20. Do you know that some businesses in
  Starkville give discounts if you show them your
  MSU ID card?
• 21. How much do you know about public access
  computers on the MSU campus?
• 22. How much do you know about the MSU intranet
  system?
• 23. Do you know how to access your personnel
  information on the MSU intranet system?

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Theoretical Models
Students
Gender
Campus Diversity and Service Issues
Perceptions, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Students
Ethnicity
Sexual Orientation
Religion
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Theoretical Models
Faculty and Staff
Gender
Campus Diversity and Service Issues
Ethnicity
Perceptions, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Faculty
and Staff
Sexual Orientation
Religion
Educational Level
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Sampling

• 875 Students
• 49.3 Female
• 50.7 Male
• 366 Faculty and Staff

70Caucasian 24.1 African-American 2.9 Asian or
Asian American 1 Hispanic/Latinos .3 Native
American .9 Mixed ethnicity
92 Christian 3.3 None .8 Buddhist .6
Hindu .6 Muslim .2Jewish
97.8 Heterosexual .8 Homosexual 1 Bisexual
82.8 Christian 11.5 None 1.1 Buddhist .3
Jewish 2.7 Other
59.3 Female 39.9 Male
87.7 Caucasian 7.1 African-American 1.7 Asian
or Asian American .8 Hispanic/Latinos .5 Native
American .5 Mixed ethnicity
93.4 Heterosexual 2.7 Homosexual .5 Bisexual
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Results

• Campus Atmosphere
• Perception that Diversity exists on campus
• Believe in the value of Diversity on campus
• Perception of prejudice
• Perception of inclusion
• Awareness of Campus Services
• Conclusions
• Recommendations

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Results
Perception that Diversity exists on campus

• The majority of students perceive MSU student and
  faculty body as being diverse more than do
  faculty and staff.

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Perception that Diversity exists on
campus Student Ethnicity

• Awareness of diversity in student body varies
  significantly across ethnic groups.
• The two largest ethnic groups on campus tend to
  perceive the campus as diverse more than the
  smaller ethnic groups.

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Results
Believe in the value of Diversity on campus

• Less students than faculty and staff believe it
  is important to have a diverse group of students
  on campus.
• In proportion, less students than faculty and
  staff believe that it is important to have a
  diverse group of faculty on campus.

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Believe in the value of Diversity on
campus Student Ethnicity

• Differences exist across ethnic groups in
  relation to perceptions of prejudice and
  inclusion.
• 92 of African American students believe it is
  important to have a diverse faculty, whereas 63
  of Caucasian students believe a diverse faculty
  to be important.
• Similar between group differences emerge with the
  item pertaining to diversity in students, as well.

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Believe in the value of Diversity on
campus Student and F/S Sexual Orientation

• More homosexual students believe that it is
  important to have both a diverse group of
  students and faculty more than do f/s and
  students from other sexual orientation groups.

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Believe in the value of Diversity on
campus Student Religious Affiliation

• Proportionally, more Muslim, Hindu and other
  religious groups believe that it is important to
  have a diverse group of students than do
  Christian and Buddhist students.

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Results
Perception of Prejudice

• Over 50 of students and faculty and staff
  believe that gay, lesbian and bisexual students
  deal with prejudice on campus.

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Perception of Prejudice Students and F/S Sexual
Orientation

• A larger proportion of students and faculty and
  staff identifying as homosexual feel that
  prejudice is an issue with sexual orientation
  compared to the heterosexual sample surveyed.

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Results
Perception of Inclusion

• The majority of students feel accepted,
  respected, and appreciated at MSU.
• Faculty and Staff feel less accepted, respected,
  and appreciated by other faculty than they do by
  students and people different from them.

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Perception of Inclusion Students Ethnicity

• African American and Asian students feel less
  accepted, respected, or appreciated by people
  different from them and other students than do
  other ethnic groups.
• Native American students feel less accepted,
  respected, or appreciated by faculty than do
  other groups.

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Perception of Inclusion Students Ethnicity

• Bisexual students feel accepted, respected, or
  appreciated by people different from them and
  other students less than do students from other
  sexual orientation groups.
• Homosexuals reported feelings less respected by
  faculty compared to other sexual orientation
  groups.

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Results

• Awareness of Campus Services
• 75 of students know who to speak with regarding
  academic questions.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• Most students know how to identify who is their
  academic advisor.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• 46.4 of students know how to access help in
  Residence Life.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• 66.2 of the students know about and have used
  the Student Health Center.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• 73 of students know the operating hours at the
  Joe Frank Sanderson Center.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• About 78 of the students are familiar with the
  MSU online billing system.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• Most students (93) know how to access their
  grades on the MSU Intranet.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• Most students (87) know where the Financial Aid
  office is located.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• Most students (95) know that they are required
  to obtain an MSU email.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• Most students (94) know that official MSU
  announcements are sent via their campus email
  account.

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• Students know about the Counseling Center (42.2)
  but most also state that they are unlike to use
  the service if they are having a personal problem
  (60.4).

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• Awareness of Campus Services
• Most students (65) do NOT know where to go to
  register a complaint against a faculty member.

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Awareness of Campus Services

• Ethnic minorities reported a higher level of
  financial problems that are impacting their
  academic performance.

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Awareness of Campus Services

• Most of the students want to stay at MSU because
  of classes and majors offered, as well as MSU
  affordability.

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Conclusions

• The majority of students (59) believe diversity
  is important.
• Minority groups endorse the value of diversity
  more strongly than do Caucasian groups.
• Minority students perceive more prejudice and
  less inclusion than Caucasian students.
• Minority faculty and staff perceive more
  problems with prejudice and lack of genuine
  acceptance than do students.

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Conclusions

• Female faculty and staff perceive or experience
  significantly higher levels of prejudice against
  women than do male faculty /staff or students.
• The vast majority of students, faculty, and staff
  perceive that significant prejudice exists on
  campus against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.
• African-American and Asian American faculty/staff
  expressed more dissatisfaction with levels of
  inclusion on campus than other groups.

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Conclusions

• Minority students report more significant
  financial problems that impact their ability to
  perform well academically than do Caucasian
  students.
• Students know about campus services and are
  utilizing them.
• A large percentage (46) of students view the
  services as an important reason to attend MSU.

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Recommendations

• Share findings in a succinct report with campus
  constituents (the Presidents office, Directors,
  Deans, Department heads, faculty, student groups,
  etc.).
• Conduct focus groups targeting ethnic minority
  and sexual orientation minority faculty, staff,
  and students in order to gather more qualitative
  information regarding the above data. Use the
  data obtained from these focus groups to inform
  program development and policy revisions.
• Student Affairs, in conjunction with the Office
  for Diversity and Equity, should develop and
  implement a model for increasing dialogue between
  different groups on campus.

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Recommendations

• Explore the possibility of developing a First
  Year Diversity Module that is collaboratively
  developed and implemented by Academic and Student
  Affairs to entering freshmen and transfer
  students.
• Follow through on policy recommendations made by
  President Lee to include Gay, Lesbian, and
  Bisexual students and faculty/staff in our AA/EEO
  policy and non-harassment policy. Inform the
  campus community (particularly these
  constituencies) that these supportive changes
  have been made in our campus policies.

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Recommendations

• Consider programming to ethnic minority students
  regarding financial management and making a
  successful transition to college. This idea can
  be further developed and refined following
  information gathered during focus groups. Holmes
  Cultural Diversity Center, in conjunction with
  the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships,
  could work together on this project.

Thank you for your attention