The College of Staten Island Climate for Learning, Working, and Living Final Report November 2016 Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. i Introduction ...................................................................................................................... i Project Design and Campus Involvement ....................................................................... ii CSI Participants .............................................................................................................. ii Key Findings – Areas of Strength ....................................................................................v Key Findings – Opportunities for Improvement .......................................................... viii Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 History of the Project .......................................................................................................1 Review of the Literature: Campus Climate’s Influence on Academic and Professional Success ........................................................................................................2 CSI Campus-wide Climate Assessment Project Structure and Process...........................5 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 6 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................6 Research Design...............................................................................................................6 Results ............................................................................................................................... 12 Description of the Sample ..............................................................................................12 Sample Characteristics ...................................................................................................16 Campus Climate Assessment Findings ............................................................................. 40 Comfort with the Climate at CSI ...................................................................................40 Barriers at CSI for Respondents with Disabilities .........................................................55 Barriers at CSI for Respondents Who Identified as Transgender ..................................61 Personal Experiences of Exclusionary, Intimidating, Offensive, and/or Hostile Conduct ..........................................................................................................................62 Observations of Exclusionary, Intimidating, Offensive, and/or Hostile Conduct .........83 Unwanted Sexual Misconduct .......................................................................................98 Faculty and Staff Perceptions of Climate ....................................................................117 Perceptions of Employment Practices .....................................................................117 Staff/Executive Respondents’ Views on Workplace Climate and Work-Life Balance .....................................................................................................................126 Faculty Respondents’ Views on Workplace Climate and Work-Life Balance ........153 Faculty and Staff/Executive respondents Who Have Seriously Considered Leaving CSI .............................................................................................................175 Student Perceptions of Campus Climate......................................................................183 Students’ Perceived Academic Success ...................................................................183 Students’ Perceptions of Campus Climate ...............................................................189 Students Who Have Seriously Considered Leaving CSI .........................................197 Institutional Actions ........................................................................................................ 206 Next Steps ....................................................................................................................... 229 Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 References ....................................................................................................................... 230 Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 235 Appendix A – Cross Tabulations by Selected Demographics ....................................236 Appendix B – Data Tables ..........................................................................................239 Appendix C – Comment Analyses (Questions #104, #105, and #106) .......................330 Appendix D – Survey: College of Staten Island Climate Survey for Learning, Working, and Living ....................................................................................................345 Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 Executive Summary Introduction The College of Staten Island (CSI) affirms that diversity and inclusion are crucial to the intellectual vitality of the campus community. It is through freedom of exchange over different ideas and viewpoints in supportive environments that individuals develop the critical thinking and citizenship skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. Diversity and inclusion engender academic engagement where teaching, working, learning, and living take place in pluralistic communities of mutual respect. CSI is dedicated to fostering a caring community that provides leadership for constructive participation in a diverse, multicultural world. As noted in CSI’s mission statement, “The College is dedicated to helping its students fulfill their creative, aesthetic, and educational aspirations through competitive and rigorous undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. We embrace the strength of our diversity, foster civic mindedness, and nurture 1 responsible citizens for our city, country, and the world.” In order to better understand the campus climate, conducting a survey was first suggested in CSI’s Faculty Diversity Strategic Plan, 2013–2018, which was developed by the College-wide Diversity Council and the Faculty Subcommittee. The senior administration at CSI recognized the need for a comprehensive tool that would provide campus climate metrics for CSI students, faculty, and staff. To that end, CSI contracted with Rankin & Associates Consulting (R&A) to conduct a campus-wide study entitled, “College of Staten Island Climate Survey for Learning, Working, and Living” in 2015. CSI formed the Campus Study Working Group (CSWG). The CSWG’s core membership was the College-wide Diversity Council and was composed of faculty, staff, students, and administrators. Data gathered via reviews of relevant CSI literature, focus groups, and a campus-wide survey focused on the experiences and perceptions of various constituent groups. Based on the findings of this study, community forums will develop and complete two to three action items by Spring 2017. 1 http://www.csi.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/mission.php i Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 Project Design and Campus Involvement The CSWG collaborated with R&A to develop the survey instrument. In the first phase, R&A conducted 19 focus groups, which were composed of 117 participants (81 women, 33 men, and three transgender individuals). In the second phase, the CSWG and R&A used data from the focus groups to co-construct questions for the campus-wide survey. The final survey instrument was completed in January 2016. CSI’s survey contained 106 items (20 qualitative and 86 quantitative) and was available via a secure online portal from March 1 – April 8, 2016. Confidential paper surveys were made available to those individuals who did not have access to an internet-connected computer or who preferred a paper survey. The conceptual model used as the foundation for CSI’s assessment of campus climate was developed by Smith et al. (1997) and modified by Rankin (2003). A power and privilege perspective informs the model, one grounded in critical theory, which establishes that power 2 differentials, both earned and unearned , are central to all human interactions (Brookfield, 2005). Unearned power and privilege are associated with membership in dominant social groups (Johnson, 2005) and influence systems of differentiation that reproduce unequal outcomes. The CSWG implemented participatory and community-based processes to generate survey questions as a means to capture the various dimensions of power and privilege that shape the campus experience. In this way, CSI’s assessment was the result of a comprehensive process to identify the strengths and challenges of campus climate, with a specific focus on the distribution of power and privilege among differing social groups. This report provides an overview of the results of the campus-wide survey. CSI Participants CSI community members completed 3,688 surveys for an overall response rate of 24.3%. Only 3 surveys that were at least 50% completed were included in the final data set for analyses. Response rates by constituent group varied: 22% (n = 2,621) for Undergraduate Students, 21% (n = 200) for Graduate Students, 84% (n = 16) for Executives (ECP), 49% (n = 529) for Staff, and 2 Unearned privilege in this report is defined as entitlement based on group status when nothing was done to deserve such rewards.. 3 Sixty-eight (68) surveys were removed because they did not complete at least 50% of the survey, and 42 duplicate submissions were removed. ii Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 28% (n = 322) for Faculty. Table 1 provides a summary of selected demographic characteristics of survey respondents. The percentages offered in Table 1 are based on the numbers of 4 respondents in the sample (n) for each demographic characteristic. 4 The total n for each demographic characteristic may differ as a result of missing data. iii Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 Table 1. CSI Sample Demographics % of Characteristic Subgroup n Sample Position status Undergraduate Student 2,621 71.1 Graduate Student 200 5.4 Faculty 322 8.7 Staff/Executive 545 14.8 Gender identity Woman 2,357 63.9 Man 1,271 34.5 Transspectrum 38 1.0 Racial identity White 1,630 44.2 Hispanic/ Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 Key Findings – Areas of Strength 1. High levels of comfort with the climate at CSI Climate is defined as the “current attitudes, behaviors, and standards of employees and students concerning the access for, inclusion of, and level of respect for individual and 5 group needs, abilities, and potential.” The level of comfort experienced by faculty, staff, and students is one indicator of campus climate. • 21% (n = 790) of the survey respondents were “very comfortable” and 52% (n = 1,919) were “comfortable” with the climate at CSI. • 33% (n = 286) of Faculty and Staff/Executive respondents were “very comfortable” and 38% (n = 326) were “comfortable” with the climate in their departments/work units. • 23% (n = 715) of Student and Faculty respondents were “very comfortable” and 54% (n = 1,673) were “comfortable” with the climate in their classes. 6 2. Faculty Respondents – Positive attitudes about faculty work • 86% (n = 269) of Faculty respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they felt valued by students in the classroom. • 75% (n = 242) of Faculty respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they felt valued by faculty in their department/program. • 76% (n = 243) of Faculty respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they felt valued by their department/program chairs. • 72% (n = 166) of Faculty respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that faculty opinions were valued at CSI. • 70% (n = 214) of Faculty respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that teaching was valued by CSI. • 68% (n = 148) of Faculty respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they were supported and mentored during the tenure-track years. • 66% (n = 210) of Faculty respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that their teaching was valued. 5 Rankin & Reason, 2008, p. 264 6 Percentages are based on n’s for each item, not overall n’s for all Faculty respondents. v Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 • 65% (n = 176) of Faculty respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that their service contributions were valued by CSI. 7 3. Staff/Executive Respondents – Positive attitudes about staff work • 86% (n = 443) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that their supervisors were supportive of their taking leave. • 83% (n = 442) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they had colleagues/coworkers who gave them job/career advice or guidance when they needed it. • 82% (n = 435) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that their supervisors provided adequate support for them to manage work-life balance • 81% (n = 434) of Staff/Executive respondents felt valued by coworkers in their department. • 81% (n = 429) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they were given a reasonable time frame to complete assigned responsibilities. • 80% (n = 418) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that there were clear expectations of their responsibilities. • 78% (n = 360) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” agreed that CSI policies (e.g., FMLA) were fairly applied across CSI. • 78% (n = 380) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that CSI was supportive of taking extended leave. • 76% (n = 403) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that the performance evaluation process was clear. • 75% (n = 405) of Staff/Executive respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they had supervisors who gave them job/career advice or guidance when they needed it. 7 Percentages are based on n’s for each item, not overall n’s for all Staff/Executive respondents. vi Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project CSI Report November 2016 4. Student Respondents – Positive attitudes about academic experiences The way students perceive and experience their campus climate influences their 8 performance and success in college. Research also supports the pedagogical value of a 9 diverse student body and faculty for improving learning outcomes. Attitudes toward academic pursuits are one indicator of campus climate. • More than half of Student respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they felt valued by faculty in the classroom (68%, n = 1,894), CSI faculty (62%, n = 1,727), other students in the classroom (59%, n = 1,630), CSI staff (56%, n = 1,559), and students outside of the classroom (52%, n = 1,441). • 56% (n = 1,575) of Student respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they had faculty whom they perceived as role models. 5. Student Respondents – Perceptions of Academic Success A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the scale, Perceived Academic Success, derived from Question 12 on the survey. Analyses using these scales revealed: • Black/African American Undergraduate Student respondents have less Perceived Academic Success than Hispanic/