“*We want to foster a campus that values diversity. It’s a very comprehensive approach to ensure climate is conducive to all members of the campus community.*”
– Michael Powell, UWM Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Climate

Beginning April 14, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Campus climate survey was made available to all UWM students and faculty for approximately two weeks. The Diversity Leadership Committee will receive results from the survey in July or August, and will use them to determine strengths and areas for improvement within the UWM learning and working environment.

The survey, titled “sharing our experiences,” will provide the Diversity Leadership Committee of UWM faculty and students with a roadmap to ensure the environment is appropriate for all. It will also help the campus administration direct and allocate resources.

In the survey, “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 group needs, abilities, and potential.”

Michael Powell, UWM associate vice chancellor for Diversity and Climate, hopes the survey will have a positive impact on the university.

“This survey allows us to take the temperature of the campus – to focus on individual problems, if they exist, where they are. Then administration will respond to the issues and concerns. If problems can be resolved through programs, we will initiate them. If we need to take more direct action, we will do that too,” said Powell.

The primary benefit of the survey is that it will inform administrators of what individuals’ experiences are. This information has the potential to make things better for those individuals who participate and those who venture onto the UWM campus in the future.

One of the main focuses of the survey is the need for diversity at UWM.

“We want to foster a campus that values diversity. Diversity is a major part of the survey, and it focuses on many dimensions like age, religion, gender and others. Virtually every characteristic is being evaluated. It’s a very comprehensive approach to ensure climate is conducive to all members of the campus community,” said Powell.

An important aspect of the survey is that it is completely confidential. At no point in the process is the survey taker asked to give out personal information, and proof of affiliation with UWM is not required.

“It’s a unique opportunity to provide the university with a candid and confidential perspective on the climate of the school,” said Powell. “We want to stress the need for candid responses.”

Virtually identical versions of the campus climate survey are being given out at five other UW campuses, including UW-La Crosse, Stevens Point and Oshkosh. While these campuses are drastically different, by giving out the same questions at each school the surveys will allow the Diversity Leadership Committee to compare and contrast the universities.

In October, the results of the survey will be reported to the campus community.

The survey is administered by Rankin and Associates, which according to their Web site “specializes in assisting educational institutions in maximizing equity through assessment, planning and implementation of intervention strategies.”

Although the survey is slated to be available for only two weeks, depending on the level of response, the committee will provide as much time as possible.

As an incentive, all survey participants will be entered into a drawing for items, including tickets to Summerfest and Milwaukee Brewers games. In addition, students completing the survey will be entered into a drawing for an iPod and textbooks from the UWM Bookstore.

“In recognition that this is a busy time for students, we wanted to sweeten the deal. The prizes are just a way of showing appreciation and recognition of the time they’re taking,” said Powell.

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