CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY REPORT
SUNY SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION (SVP)
Consistent with New York State Education Law 129-B and policies of The State University of New York, Cayuga Community College participated in the 2019 University-wide Biennial SUNY Uniform Campus Climate Survey. The survey gathered information about student and employee experience with sexual and interpersonal violence and knowledge of policies and resources. The results of the survey are forthcoming.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – 2017
In Spring 2017, Cayuga Community College participated in the SUNY Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) Campus Climate Survey. The Survey was administered to students, faculty, and staff. By SUNY policy, this uniform survey ascertains faculty and staff awareness of policies and resources, student experience with, and knowledge of reporting of sexual harassment, including sexual violence and other related crimes. Additionally, the survey captured the awareness of the College’s adjudicatory processes for sexual harassment, including sexual violence and other related crimes.
Results indicated that faculty and staff are generally aware of the policies and laws, and resources. 68% of the 62 faculty/staff respondents, agreed or strongly agreed that they knew how to advise students on where to get help if they were sexually assaulted; and 27% strongly agreed or agreed that they understand what happens when a student reports sexual assault at the College.
There is an indication that more information, outreach, and communication is needed to provide resources to faculty and staff. While a majority of responses from faculty and staff indicated they understood the Title IX Coordinator’s role in receiving reports, coordinating responses, ensuring training, and providing reporting individuals with accommodations, 26% of responses indicated they were unsure of the Title IX Coordinator’s role.
73% of the 84 student respondents indicated that they were aware of policies and procedures specifically addressing sexual assault. However, 9% indicated that they were unaware of how to formally report sexual violence on campus. It is our commitment to ensure that we increase students’ knowledge of avenues to report and who the Title IX Coordinator is at the College.
The College’s Title IX Coordinator and Senior Administrators have reviewed the results. A committee will communicate and meet with departments such as Wellness and Intervention Services, Campus Health Services, Campus Activities, Public Safety and Academic Affairs to review specific results and to further detail recommendations based on the findings.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Paul Smith, Assistant Director of Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator, at psmith37@cayuga-cc.edu.
RESULTS
The Title IX Coordinator’s role includes receiving reports, coordinating campus response, ensuring training/education is provided to the campus community and providing reporting individuals with accommodations and services during an investigation. 74% of faculty/staff respondents selected these choices in describing the role; 26% indicated they were unsure. 47% of student responses indicated that they were unsure of the Title IX Coordinator’s role.
When asked about College policies and procedures addressing sexual assault, 73% of student respondents indicated that they were aware of policies and procedures specifically addressing sexual assault and over 90% of student responses indicated they could identify who on campus they could disclose a sexual assault to at the College.
94% of faculty and staff indicated that they believe it is “very likely” or “likely” that an employee will get help and resources for a student who tells them they have assaulted. 91% indicated they believe it is “very likely” or “likely” that a fellow employee will call for help/call 911 if they hear a neighbor yelling “help.”
84% of students understood the definition of affirmative consent; 85% understood that someone who is incapacitated could not provide consent. 93% of faculty and staff understood the definition, and 98% understood that someone who is incapacitated could not provide consent.
22% of students reported that they experienced unwanted sexual comments, sexual slurs or demeaning jokes in the last year. It should be noted that the survey did provide an opportunity to describe the location of this conduct or behavior, so we are unable to ascertain whether these incidents occurred on or off campus. Students were asked whether they had experienced particular behaviors related to stalking and over 90% of respondents indicated that they had not experienced them.
66% of students indicated they believed it is “very likely” or “likely” that a fellow student will call for help/call 911 if they hear a neighbor yelling “help” and 64% indicated they think a fellow student will get help and resources for a friend who tells them that they have been assaulted.
APPENDIX A
ABOUT CAMPUS LABS
The Campus Labs® platform offers integrated software and cloud-based assessment tools for higher education. The corporate mission is focused on empowering and transforming colleges and universities through strategic data insights. Campus Labs is headquartered in Buffalo, New York. Specific to the SUNY Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) Campus Climate Survey, Campus Labs is providing the technology to administer the survey and analyze the collected data. Campus Labs has also provided consultation in the form of two consultants whose role is to advise SUNY representatives on the logistics and administration of the survey.
DATA SECURITY
Campus Labs is committed to maintaining the highest standards in data security. To protect information used in internet transactions (e.g. online surveys, data reports), Campus Labs uses the following security techniques and procedures:
- Secure login access (username and password) is required to access all data reports
- Information is exchanged via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) that uses 128-bit encryption
- Information requests must pass through multiple hardware and software security firewalls
- Campus Labs’ data center is monitored 24/7 and access is restricted to authorized parties with validated key cards
- Data is backed up every hour internally
- Data is backed up every night to a centralized backup system, with offsite backups in the event of a catastrophe.
- Campus representatives will have access to all data for their campus only.
- SUNY Administrators will have access to the data of all participating campuses
- Respondent identifiers are hidden from the SUNY and campus representatives administering the SVP Campus Climate Survey. At no time will SUNY or campus representatives be able to see respondent identifiers linked to individual’s responses.
APPENDIX B
SUNY POLICY
- SUNY Policies on Sexual Violence Prevention and Response
https://system.suny.edu/sexual-violence-prevention-workgroup/policies/
https://system.suny.edu/sexual-violence-prevention-workgroup/policies/response/ - SUNY Policies
https://system.suny.edu/compliance/ - Campus Resources and Best Practices
https://system.suny.edu/university-life/sexual-assault-prevention/ -
Sexual Assault and Violence Response Resources with resources on or off campus by location, campus, city
https://www.suny.edu/violence-response/