CU Denver 2021 CWC Survey FAQ's

• The university is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all members of our community feel respected, supported, and valued. The purpose of the Campus Culture Survey is to gather information from CU Denver students, staff, and faculty about their classroom, workplace, and for undergraduates, residential environments.
• We will use the results from this survey to better understand our existing culture and to identify both strengths and areas of concern in order to make recommendations for creating and sustaining a just, equitable, and inclusive culture at CU Denver.

Lead for CU Denver: 
Antonio Farias (sits on CU system committee, representing CU Denver), prior to arrival, lead was Nelia Viveiros.

CU Denver CWC Steering Committee Members:

• Ian Whitman, Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation (sits on system committee)
• Dave Deffenbacher, Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation (sits on system committee)
• Pam Jansma, Liaison to Deans
• Alex DeWind, UCOMM
• Ryan Huff, UCOMM
• Chris Hilton, SGA rep
• Carolyn Brownawell, HR rep
• Brian Delevie, Faculty Assembly rep
• Nelia Viveiros, Office of Equity rep (sits on system committee)
• Ingrid Summers, Staff Council rep
  

• In Fall 2021, students, staff, and faculty will be invited to participate in the campus-wide administration. Going forward from 2021, the survey will be administered every four years, with targeted, smaller-scale administrations designed to evaluate progress towards improvement in the intervening years.

• The CU Denver | Anschutz Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness will administer the survey. OIRE administers a number of surveys on a regular schedule and client-requested surveys on special topics or for special populations on an ad hoc basis. OIRE follows best practices in survey and data security standards.

As a way of thanking you for taking the time to participate in the survey, CU Denver leadership has made $15,000 available in additional funding for three essential organizations serving our campus community. Additionally, by doing so, our community helps support three vital groups that serve us in times of need.

At 30% campus participation, $5,000 is made available in support of these three organizations.
At 45%, $10,000 is made available in support of these three organizations.
At 60% or more, the full $15,000 is made available in support of these three organizations.

CU Denver Food Pantry: A direct response to the need of the CU Denver study for more resources to fight food insecurity and the lack of nutritious food. All students are allocated 10 points each week to use on free food and hygiene products. 
 
CU Denver Campus Employee Emergency Relief Fund (EERF): Designed to provide financial assistance for unexpected financial hardships due to emergency situations. 
 
Phoenix Center at Auraria: Provides free and confidential resources and assistance to students, staff, and faculty who are survivors of interpersonal violence (relationship violence, sexual assault, and stalking). 

• We know that you must have the assurance that your responses are confidential and secure if we are to receive accurate and candid feedback. Survey participants' privacy is of utmost importance to us, and strict internal safeguards are in place to ensure that privacy.
• No one outside of the CU Denver | Anschutz Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) staff—no administrators, supervisors, or faculty—has access to survey respondents’ identities or to files that may connect names or email addresses with answers to survey questions.
• Members of the OIRE team will manage the survey email distribution list, wherein it is recorded who has and has not completed the survey questionnaire.
• Once a participant submits their survey, the identifying information that permitted the database manager to keep track of who did and did not respond to the survey is automatically deleted. In other words, each case in the final data file is an anonymous case. In addition, the data file is encrypted and stored in a secure, encrypted drive which only OIRE staff can access.
• Survey responses will be aggregated for statistical analysis and reporting. We will aggregate the data into groups of 10 or more responses in order to maintain the anonymity of survey participants. If any demographic group or combination of group characteristics has fewer than 10 individuals, those data will not be reported. OIRE will not provide any findings that would risk making someone identifiable due to the uniqueness of their demographic characteristics, years at CU, faculty rank, job category, department, major, or a combination of those factors. Your anonymity is our first duty of care and will be protected in all reports resulting from this survey. We are committed to ensuring that individuals can provide candid feedback with confidence. Anything else is counter-productive to the effort.
• Please email cwcsurvey@ucdenver.edu for more information regarding steps taken to ensure anonymity and confidentiality.

• The CU Denver | Anschutz Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) currently safeguards any sensitive employment and student data it accesses by using state-of-the-art data security protocols. The survey platform, Qualtrics, meets Vendor Security Assessment Questionnaire (VSAQ) data standards. Data are encrypted in transit and at rest.  Read more about Qualtrics security. 
• Once the survey has closed, data will also be encrypted in transit to OIRE. The full database of anonymized responses will then be held by OIRE in encrypted form on their secure server. The de-identified data will be stored to allow investigation of trends by comparison with future surveys.
• Please email cwcsurvey@ucdenver.edu for more information about data security.

• The Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) and the Office of Data Analytics (ODA) at CU Boulder, in close partnership with the CU Denver Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, Office of Equity, and Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Human Resource, and University Communications worked together to develop and refine the survey, whose core was developed from feedback from all campuses as well as over 5,000 CU Boulder students, staff, and faculty participated in the three-year pilot testing phase of development.
• This survey builds off of the CU Boulder undergraduate and graduate student 2014 Social Climate Surveys and the CU Boulder 2015 Sexual Misconduct Survey. These student-focused questions were then used to create comparable questions for faculty and staff so that we will have a more complete picture of our University culture, taking into account unique aspects of individual campuses.
• In addition, the survey includes questions that are drawn from surveys used at other colleges, universities, and scientific institutes. We also developed new questions to assess our campus community environments, for instance, items asking about experiences of behaviors that negatively impact the workplace, classroom, and living environments. Please contact Dave Deffenbacher, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, for more information about survey development and content at dave.deffenbacher@ucdenver.edu.

• The Campus and Workplace Culture Survey is designed to consolidate CU system “climate” surveying efforts in order to support programs, departments, colleges, divisions, institutes, and the campuses at large in comprehensively measuring our campus culture at all levels and among all constituents.
• The Campus and Workplace Culture Survey will serve as a tool to support the CU System Strategic Plan by providing benchmarking data for all campuses and, going forward, evidence of progress toward meeting the goals of creating a more inclusive CU community.

• A unique survey link will be sent to your CU Denver email address. The link will take you to the online survey in Qualtrics, a state-of-the-art survey platform used by the campus.

• There are different versions of the survey, and each one has been tailored to the needs and experiences of each constituent group. Faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduates will receive different, but comparable versions of the survey.
• We know our academic medical campus is one of a kind, and many of you have numerous roles. Our goal with this year’s survey is to get a high-level look at our multifaceted campus community as a whole, knowing that there may be differences in clinical, educational, research, and community environments.

• The survey will take about 10-20 minutes—the time needed to complete the survey varies due to certain answers to some questions prompting follow-up. Those who have more to share may take a little longer. 
• If you need to leave the survey before completing your answers, Qualtrics will save your place, and you can pick up where you left off by clicking the same link that came with the email that invited you to participate in the survey.

• Yes, it is. The survey will be administered through Qualtrics, an online survey platform. CU’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) has tested Qualtrics’ compatibility with screen readers extensively. Only question types that have been tested and shown to be accessible are used in the Campus & Workplace Culture Survey. Learn more about screen reader compatibility.

• Every effort will be made to ensure that it is possible to take the survey on a mobile platform. However, it is more difficult to review and complete the survey on a smartphone. It is highly recommended that you complete the survey on a computer.

• The questions address the culture of the workplace and classroom, as well as experiences of negative treatment and protected-class harassment and discrimination.
• There are also demographic questions because we know that members of different groups may be having different experiences inside and outside the classroom and in the workplace. Demographic questions have been developed in collaboration with campus experts to be both sensitive and useful. Results for demographic groups will not be shared if there are fewer than 10 members in the group. We will not present data that is broken out in a way that could inadvertently identify individuals.

• We will not be asking any open-ended questions on this survey. From past experience, we know that some people will report behaviors that will make it necessary to break the confidentiality agreement because of the seriousness of what they disclose. Examples from the past include survey respondents telling us about illegal behavior like sexual assault or research/fiscal misconduct committed by someone in their department and this has triggered an investigation.
• Throughout the survey, there is information on how to officially report problematic behavior or reach confidential resources, along with links that can take people directly to those offices.

• In our testing to date, the response rates across units has ranged from 60-100%. We hope to replicate this robust response in order to make the most of the survey findings.

• By participating in the survey, you add your voice and perspective to our effort to understand our campus culture, build on our strengths, and identify areas of opportunity for the future. Your insights are of tremendous value, as we work to make CU Denver an even more supportive, welcoming, and enriching place to work and to learn.
• Due to the strict confidentiality of survey responses, the results of this survey will not benefit anyone personally. However, we hope that students, faculty, and staff will benefit as recommendations arising from this study are adopted by the campus and at the college, department, institute, program, or unit levels.
• Ultimately, this work will direct CU Denver's efforts to create more equitable and inclusive environments for all students and employees—specifically, environments that attract more diverse and talented people to join our community and that increase student and employee retention. This survey is also intended to benefit the wider community by providing the data needed to take steps to improve the academic and workplace cultures on our campus and to measure our progress going forward.

• Staff members in the CU Denver | Anschutz Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) will close the survey and will work with the CU Denver Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to use the de-identified data set for assessment. This assessment team will perform both descriptive and in-depth analyses and will generate a report in Tableau with findings and recommendations for amplifying areas of strength and addressing problems and concerns.
• OIEC Assessment will work with units to develop an action plan to address concerns and to create accountability.

• The information you disclose in this survey will not initiate a formal process of investigation into situations involving protected-class discrimination or harassment, as it does not constitute an official report to the university.
• The university is committed to providing an inclusive environment where all individuals can achieve their academic and professional aspirations free from discrimination and harassment based upon protected-class identities. Identities that are covered by CU policy are race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation, and political philosophy.
• To formally report an incident of protected-class discrimination or harassment, please contact the CU Denver | Anschutz Office of Equity at 303.315.2567; email equity@ucdenver.edu; or use an online reporting form. 
• Anonymous reports related to concerns about campus academic, research, business integrity, or environmental health and safety can be submitted at the CU System EthicsPoint website.

• You do not need to make a formal report to the university in order to receive confidential support.
• The Ombuds Office at CU Denver | Anschutz assists all members of our community with informally and impartially resolving complaints or disputes with other individuals, offices, or departments within the university. They are a neutral third-party resource that is available to hear individual complaints and help identify options for resolving those concerns. To learn more please visit the Ombuds Office website or call at 303-724-2950.
• The Colorado State Assistance Program (C-SEAP) offers counseling and programs for university faculty and staff. This resource is free and confidential and can be used for work-related or personal support.

• Race: Federal civil rights laws do not define race. However, all people have a race or are multiracial and can self-identify. All races are protected under university policy.
• Color: Refers to the pigmentation of one’s skin. An individual can make an allegation of color discrimination or color harassment against someone of the same race or color.
• National Origin: Refers to a person’s or a person's ancestors' place of origin or to the physical, cultural or linguistic characteristics of an ethnic group.
• Sex and Gender: Sex refers to the anatomy and biology that determines whether one is male, female and/or intersex. Gender refers to the social constructs surrounding gender roles.
• Gender Identity: Refers to an innate sense of one’s own gender, or an internal sense of who one is, regardless of anatomy.
• Gender Expression: Refers to how a person represents or expresses one’s gender to others through external appearance, characteristics or behaviors typically associated with a specific gender.
• Sexual Orientation: Refers to the physical or emotional attraction toward a certain sex or gender. Additionally, individuals are protected from discrimination or harassment based on a perception of an individual’s sexual orientation, even if that perception is mistaken.
• Disability: Refers to a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of an individual. The policy also protects individuals who are regarded as having a disability or who have a record of a disability.
• Pregnancy: Individuals who are pregnant, just gave birth to a child, or suffer a medical condition as a result of pregnancy or childbirth are all protected.
• Veteran Status: Refers to anyone who serves or who has served in any branch of the United States armed forces, including students in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Volunteers for military duty must be treated the same as those who are ordered to active duty.
• Political Affiliation: Refers to a person’s membership or association with others in commonality of political purpose and support.
• Age: Refers to discriminating against individuals because of their age, regardless of their age. Students are protected from age discrimination in academic situations like admissions decisions and residence hall assignments.
• Religion/Creed: Refers to religious, moral or ethical beliefs that are sincerely held and includes all aspects of religious observance and practice.
• Political Philosophy: Refers to a person’s belief or endorsement of any system of thought pertaining to public policy or the administration of governmental functions.