| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.27 |
| Liaison | Mark Klapatch-Mathias |
| Submission Date | Feb. 29, 2024 |
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Beth
Schommer Executive Assistant to the Chancellor Chancellor's Office |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
Yes
A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:
In spring 2021, UW-River Falls conducted a campus climate survey. The Campus Climate Survey asks students to reflect on their experiences at UWRF. Topics include classroom experiences, use of student services, interactions with others on campus, and participation in multicultural and other activities. The overall goal of the survey is to assess the perceptions of our campus environment for learning, living, and working and to better understand these individuals’ satisfaction with the UWRF experience.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Yes
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Yes
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
No
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
Survey Response Rates and Student Demographics:
• A total of 696 students completed the survey – 14.8% response rate
• Most of the participants identified as White (86.8%), while the other four racial/ethnic categories had significantly lower response rates - Asian (2.2%), Hispanic (any race) (1%), Black (.7%), Native American/Alaska Native (0.1%)
• 80.1% of participants identified as female
• 10.1% of participants identified as first-generation
• 21.7% of participants identified as a member of the LGBTQ+ community
Overall Satisfaction and Sense of Belonging:
• 77.3% of participants indicated that they feel a sense of belonging to this campus. Cross-tabulations on feeling a sense of belonging to this campus were completed for gender identity, race, and first-generation students. There is a pattern where the number of students increases for each belonging category from strongly disagree to agree but decreases from agree to strongly agree.
• 85% of participants said they would recommend their institution to others.
• 5.7% of participants said that they feel unsafe on campus. Frequencies of agreement of feeling unsafe on campus were higher for women and students of color.
• 32.9% of participants have considered dropping out of college. Students identifying as non-binary (86.7%) or genderqueer/gender non-conforming (66.7%) reported considering dropping out at higher percentages than students identifying as male (39.4%) or female (38.1%).
• 70.4% of participants believe that their institution provides the financial support they need to stay enrolled in college.
Campus Diversity:
• 34.3% of participants said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the racial diversity of the student body. 49.2% of students responded that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the gender diversity of the faculty.
• 39.8% of participants said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the racial diversity of the faculty at their institution.
• 37.8% of participants said that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the racial diversity of the staff at their institution. The level of satisfaction was lower for students identifying as LGBTQ+ (36.4%), African American (29.2%), Asian (44.8%), and Hispanic (47.1%)
• Overall, 77.2% of participants feel their institution has a long-standing commitment to diversity.
• Overall, there are varying degrees of satisfaction with the atmosphere for specific areas of expression. The following are the percent of students who were satisfied or very satisfied:
o Atmosphere for differences in immigration status (36.6%)
o Atmosphere for differences in gender expression (41.7%)
o Respect for the expression of diverse beliefs (45.8%)
Campus/Classroom Discrimination and/or Bias:
• 28.4% of participants are satisfied with the outcome of administrative responses to incidents of discrimination at their institution.
• 38.4% of participants have witnessed discrimination while enrolled at their institution. Most of these students report witnessing discrimination seldom.
• 14.8% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that their institution has much racial tension.
The data above was used to create the Soaring to New Heights Strategic Plan, which outlines goals through 2025.
• A total of 696 students completed the survey – 14.8% response rate
• Most of the participants identified as White (86.8%), while the other four racial/ethnic categories had significantly lower response rates - Asian (2.2%), Hispanic (any race) (1%), Black (.7%), Native American/Alaska Native (0.1%)
• 80.1% of participants identified as female
• 10.1% of participants identified as first-generation
• 21.7% of participants identified as a member of the LGBTQ+ community
Overall Satisfaction and Sense of Belonging:
• 77.3% of participants indicated that they feel a sense of belonging to this campus. Cross-tabulations on feeling a sense of belonging to this campus were completed for gender identity, race, and first-generation students. There is a pattern where the number of students increases for each belonging category from strongly disagree to agree but decreases from agree to strongly agree.
• 85% of participants said they would recommend their institution to others.
• 5.7% of participants said that they feel unsafe on campus. Frequencies of agreement of feeling unsafe on campus were higher for women and students of color.
• 32.9% of participants have considered dropping out of college. Students identifying as non-binary (86.7%) or genderqueer/gender non-conforming (66.7%) reported considering dropping out at higher percentages than students identifying as male (39.4%) or female (38.1%).
• 70.4% of participants believe that their institution provides the financial support they need to stay enrolled in college.
Campus Diversity:
• 34.3% of participants said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the racial diversity of the student body. 49.2% of students responded that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the gender diversity of the faculty.
• 39.8% of participants said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the racial diversity of the faculty at their institution.
• 37.8% of participants said that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the racial diversity of the staff at their institution. The level of satisfaction was lower for students identifying as LGBTQ+ (36.4%), African American (29.2%), Asian (44.8%), and Hispanic (47.1%)
• Overall, 77.2% of participants feel their institution has a long-standing commitment to diversity.
• Overall, there are varying degrees of satisfaction with the atmosphere for specific areas of expression. The following are the percent of students who were satisfied or very satisfied:
o Atmosphere for differences in immigration status (36.6%)
o Atmosphere for differences in gender expression (41.7%)
o Respect for the expression of diverse beliefs (45.8%)
Campus/Classroom Discrimination and/or Bias:
• 28.4% of participants are satisfied with the outcome of administrative responses to incidents of discrimination at their institution.
• 38.4% of participants have witnessed discrimination while enrolled at their institution. Most of these students report witnessing discrimination seldom.
• 14.8% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that their institution has much racial tension.
The data above was used to create the Soaring to New Heights Strategic Plan, which outlines goals through 2025.
Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
No
A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:
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Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
No
The diversity and equity assessment report or summary (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:
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Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.