University of Massachusetts Amherst
PAE-7: Measuring Campus Diversity Culture

1. In its Diversity Report, the College of Engineering CDSJ Committee reported that in 2009 they resurveyed staff and graduate students, asking about progress since 2005 (the last CDSJ survey). The survey indicated success in several areas, specifically co-worker support, general work satisfaction in immediate work environment and general overall climate of the College. COE contact: Shelly Perdomo, Director for Diversity Program. 2. SARIS conducted a survey in spring '07 for the Office of Programs and Services for ALANA Students (OPSAS). The target population was all undergraduates of color, and the survey included questions asking about use of the various "Success Centers", as well as questions about their experiences with advising and academics. The response rate was pretty low -- only 20%. Jackie Pinn was the client. 3. SARIS conducted a survey in spring 2008 for Larry Goldbaum in Jewish Affairs. Detailed information on this survey is provided below: The "Survey of Campus Climate for Jewish Students" was formerly titled "Anti-Semitism"; but we changed the name in 2008 to reflect a broader range of questions. These periodic surveys assess the extracurricular, residential, and classroom experiences of self-identified Jewish students. The questions have remained fairly consistent since the survey's inception in 1991, although in 2004 some questions were added to explore Jewish students' perceptions of criticism of Israel by professors, other students, and columnists in the student newspaper. In 2008 we changed the name of the survey and added several questions regarding religious observance.

The Anti-Semitism survey (renamed "Campus Climate for Jewish Students" in 2008) was originally used (in 1991) to measure the nature and extent of anti-Jewish attitudes or behaviors on campus. These triennial surveys provided information which led the University to create an Office of Jewish Affairs in 1995. Subsequent surveys were used to monitor our progress in redressing the problems identified by the surveys. (Note: The Office of Jewish Affairs has been incorporated into a broader Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, which will administer a Survey of Campus Climate for Muslim Students, modeled on its predecessor.)

(The 2008 results in particular are available in PDF format at http://www.umass.edu/jewish/pdf/antisem2008detail.pdf)