More than 15,000 Michigan State University students, staff and faculty participated in the university’s first campus-wide survey. The large number of participants suggests that the results will provide a detailed picture of the culture and perceptions associated with relationship violence and sexual misconduct (RVSM) on campus.
In March, the Know More @ MSU survey was launched by the university’s Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Expert Advisory Workgroup. The survey focused on measuring the culture, perceptions and policies associated with RVSM among undergraduate students, graduate/professional students, faculty and staff on campus; it closed May 7.
The more than 15,000 total respondents included approximately 9,500 students, 4,500 staff and 1,000 faculty. RTI International, the third-party survey administrator contracted to conduct the survey, anticipates a final report analyzing all the data to be completed and presented to MSU leaders and community members this fall.
“I want to thank the thousands of students, staff and faculty who took the time to participate in the Know More @ MSU survey,” MSU Acting President Satish Udpa said. “This survey was very carefully created to give us a baseline of community knowledge about RVSM, and we are committed to sharing the results openly and using the data to shape future programming and policy decisions.”
MSU contracted with RTI International to promote trust and transparency in the survey process and results. RTI is an independent, nonprofit research organization with extensive experience designing and administering campus surveys. The identity of all respondents, as well as individual-level responses to survey questions, are confidential with only aggregate data being shared with the university.
“We know that many offices and groups on campus are eager to use the data to help make meaningful changes to programs and policies,” said Carrie Moylan, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work and member of the RVSM Workgroup. “We hope the results of this survey provoke conversation, and more importantly, action, as we work together to create real culture change.”
A final survey report will be widely shared with the MSU community and posted to the Know More campus survey website.