Meredith conducted a Campus Climate Survey in fall 2020 to better understand the realities and experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) on campus. The survey was sent via email to students, faculty, staff, and alumnae/i who graduated within the last ten years. It was distributed in early October and remained open for the duration of the month.
The survey, conducted through the Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS) Consortium, provided an anonymous platform for sharing feedback and a means for encouraging action. A diverse team of Meredith employees were charged with researching the best means for administering the survey.
Criteria for selecting the survey instrument included, but was not limited to
- Constructs that Meredith is interested in assessing (campus climate, diversity, equity, inclusion, institutional support, discrimination, and harassment)
- Results broken out by sub-groups
- Timeline available for distribution
- Timeliness of reporting
- Benchmarking against other institutions
- Availability for follow-up questions and additional reports
- Cost
Survey results were provided to Meredith’s Office of Research, Planning, and Assessment in mid-March. They prepared a report that was shared with the Executive Leadership Team, the Administrative Management Council, the committee working on the job description for Meredith’s DEI professional, and faculty and staff during an annual spring faculty/staff conference. The Board of Trustees’s Executive Committee also reviewed the results, followed by the full board’s review. A summary report of the results will be released to the larger community. Further in-depth data was also gathered through focus interviews and additional targeted surveys.
“The Campus Climate survey was designed to elicit the voices of all members of the Meredith College community regarding their experiences with racism. This will help us ensure we are addressing all aspects of racism, not just those that are most obvious or easy to solve.” Jo Allen, President
