University of California, Santa Barbara
PA-5: Assessing Diversity and Equity

The University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) is regularly administered at UCSB. The UCUES is also used at other major reserarch universities, and researchers and administrators from these institutions and many others helped design the survey. The survey is funded by the participating institutions. This survey asks students to rate how their ability to appreciate, tolerate, and understand racial and ethnic diversity has developed while at college. They are also asked whether they believe they (and their fellow students) are respected, regardless of their economic status or social class, gender, race or ethnicity, religious beliefs, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or disabilities. Several questions are also asked about how their economic situation affects their studies and ability to participate in campus life.

During departmental external reviews, each department also surveys students and faculty about the culture of diversity and equity within the department. Though these are done at the individual department level, all academic departments go through this process.

UCUES collects a broad range of data about the academic and co-curricular experiences of undergraduate students at the University of California. UCSB participates in UCUES every two years. The survey is administered during the spring quarter, and all UCSB undergraduates are invited to participate.

A comprehensive description of the structure, content, and methodology of the survey can be found at the UC Office of the President (UCOP) UCUES website.

Summary charts of UCUES data for UCSB students can be found at these links:

UCSB UCUES 2012

UCSB UCUES 2010

UCSB UCUES 2008

Each year's summary charts include the following topic areas:

Academic Engagement
(e.g., gains in academic and life skills, participation in academic activities such as doing research with faculty, reasons for choosing one's major, factors that can interfere with academic success)

Demographics
(English language background, self-reported social class, immigration background)

Student Satisfaction
(e.g., satisfaction with academic experience and with social experience, satisfaction with courses and instruction, the importance of research opportunities as part of an undergraduate education)

Civic Engagement
(Participation in community service, types of community service work)

Student Development
(e.g., time spent on academics and employment, time spent on non-academic activities, student leadership and involvement in clubs and organizations, gains in social skills, post-graduation plans for seniors, career intentions)

The Campus Climate Survey was completed in academic year 2013/2014 was the year the survey was completed:
http://campusclimate.ucop.edu/_common/files/pdf-climate/summary-factsheet.pdf

The University of California seeks to create and nurture an ethos of respect and inclusion for all. Only with the constant attention and commitment of the entire UC community will we achieve this goal. This systemwide campus climate study constitutes a starting point, not a finish line, in this ongoing work.The task ahead is to dig through this data at each locale, identifying what has worked and can be replicated, and determining what deficiencies need to be addressed head-on.
Make no mistake: Every UC location has already taken steps to address campus climate issues–we have not been waiting for the survey to be completed before taking action on these important issues.
These efforts already underway include the hiring of dedicated diversity and inclusion staff, programs that address unconscious bias in hiring and promotions, targeted staff and student trainings, and resource centers for particular groups.
Overall, the news is good. The survey results show that a large majority (79%) of respondents are satisfied with the overall climate at UC, and three-quarters of respondents said they’re comfortable with
the climate for diversity in their work unit, academic area, or clinical setting. We also know that more remains to be done to ensure that all members of the UC community feel comfortable in their environments.
According to Rankin & Associates Consulting, who conducted the survey, “the findings for the University of California are consistent with those found in higher education institutions across the country.”
Below are additional highlights of the study results:
A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE UC COMMUNITY IS SATISFIED WITH THE OVERALL CLIMATE AT THE UNIVERSITY
•79% of all survey respondents were comfortable or very comfortable with the campus climate at UC, while 7% were uncomfortable or very uncomfortable.
•75% of all respondents were comfortable or very comfortable with the climate for diversity in their department/work unit/academic unit/college/school/clinical setting, while 10% were uncomfortable or very uncomfortable.
•73% of undergraduate students, 78% of graduate students, and 56% of faculty and post-docs were comfortable or very comfortable with the climate in their classes. Meanwhile, 7% of undergraduates, 5% of graduate students, and 2% of faculty and post-docs were uncomfortable or very uncomfortable.
•More than half of all respondents thought that the overall campus climate was very respectful or respectful of various races/ethnicities at UC, including African American/African/Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern/South Asian/North African, Pacific Islander, and white.
Campus Climate Study: Summary of Systemwide Findings
STUDENTS ARE LARGELY SATISFIED WITH THEIR ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE AT UC
•69% of undergraduate students and 78% of graduate students were satisfied with their academic experience at UC.
•75% of undergraduates, 85% of graduate students, and 67% of post-docs/trainees felt valued by faculty in the classroom.
STUDENTS GENERALLY FEEL THAT DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES ARE INCORPORATED IN UC
COURSES
•More than half of undergraduate and graduate students reported that UC courses included sufficient materials, perspectives, and/or experiences of people based on a variety of personal characteristics (such as age, ethnicity, gender identity, marital status, race, or sexual orientation).
FACULTY, STAFF, POST-DOCS, AND TRAINEES OVERWHELMINGLY FEEL THAT UC VALUES A DIVERSE STAFF AND FACULTY
•81% of staff, faculty, post-docs, graduate students, and trainees said their campus/location values a diverse staff, and 76% felt that UC values a diverse faculty.
MORE WORK MUST BE DONE TO ADDRESS ISSUES FACED BY CERTAIN GROUPS
•Underrepresented minority respondents and multi-minority respondents were less comfortable with the overall climate and the workplace climate than were white respondents and other people of color. White respondents were more comfortable with the climate in their classes than were other racial groups.
•Undocumented residents were less comfortable with the overall climate, the climate in their classes, and the climate in their work units/departments than were U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens.
[Note: President Napolitano has allocated $5 million to support and expand services for undocumented resident students at UC, in addition to financial aid already available to this group. The President has also met privately with undocumented students on several occasions to discuss their concerns and priorities. Some campuses also have dedicated centers for undocumented students.]
•Transgender and genderqueer respondents were less comfortable with the overall climate at their campus/location than were women and men respondents. Genderqueer, transgender, and women respondents were less comfortable in their department/work unit/academic unit/college/school/clinical setting than were men respondents. LGBQ respondents were less comfortable with the overall climate and the climate in their departments and work units, compared with heterosexual respondents.
•A higher percentage of respondents who had not served in the military were very comfortable or comfortable with the overall climate at their institutions and with their department/work unit/academic setting, compared with respondents who had served in the military.
[Note: President Napolitano has already formed a systemwide veterans’ advisory group to address the unique challenges of these students, and has met with the group privately. Each UC campus also already has a dedicated veteran services coordinator and/or support team that addresses the needs of veterans at UC. Many campuses also already have, or are in the process of establishing, dedicated centers or lounges for student veterans.]
•24% of respondents believed that they had personally experienced exclusionary, intimidating, offensive, and/or hostile conduct at a UC campus/location; 9% of respondents said that this conduct interfered with their ability to work or learn.
•A higher percentage of staff respondents reported experiencing exclusionary, intimidating, offensive, and/or hostile conduct, compared to faculty or students. A higher percentage of racial minorities reported experiencing this conduct, compared to non-minorities.
•3% of respondents believed they had experienced unwanted sexual contact while at a UC campus/location within the last five years. Higher percentages of undergraduate students experienced this type of contact in the past five years, compared to graduate students, staff, faculty, or post-docs/trainees. Higher percentages of gender, queer, transgender, and women respondents experienced this conduct, as compared to men respondents.

"Our UCSB community was asked to participate in a UC system-wide survey to evaluate a variety of issues related to campus climate in order to assess the learning, living, and working environments at the University. We had a relatively high response rate of 30%, second highest among the UC campuses with undergraduate populations.

Thank you to all of our students, faculty, and staff who participated in this important survey. We care deeply about the well-being of our entire campus community, and we value the perspectives and insights you have shared with us.

Over the coming months, we look forward to an in-depth study of our campus’s data so that we can continue conversations and develop actions to foster an even more welcoming, inclusive, and supportive climate for each and every member of our diverse campus community. Your feedback and ideas help us to work together to continuously improve our campus, and we appreciate your participation in this important collaborative endeavor.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor "

Each year's survey gathers information in the following topic areas so we can assess our progress in improving governance and public engagement in these important matters:

Academic Engagement
(e.g., gains in academic and life skills, participation in academic activities such as doing research with faculty, reasons for choosing one's major, factors that can interfere with academic success)

Demographics
(English language background, self-reported social class, immigration background)

Student Satisfaction
(e.g., satisfaction with academic experience and with social experience, satisfaction with courses and instruction, the importance of research opportunities as part of an undergraduate education)

Civic Engagement
(Participation in community service, types of community service work)

Student Development
(e.g., time spent on academics and employment, time spent on non-academic activities, student leadership and involvement in clubs and organizations, gains in social skills, post-graduation plans for seniors, career intentions)

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor"

The website for the most recent UCUES survey can be found at: http://bap.ucsb.edu/IR/UCUES/UCUES.html