Administration works toward changes in light of 2014 campus social climate survey results

Roughly every four years, the University of Colorado-Boulder conducts a campus social climate survey, reviewing the social atmosphere of the dorms, classrooms and the campus overall. This survey has been conducted since 1994, and the results for the 2014 survey were released last Thursday.

The majority of the school’s population feels welcome at school, but there is still approximately 35 percent of the CU undergraduate student body that doesn’t feel as welcome as the rest. Chancellor Phillip DiStefano has presented again the objective of obtaining “inclusive excellence,” a value that will work to ensure that the university is a more diverse and rich academic atmosphere for every student.

The survey found that only 38 percent of African-American undergraduates feel welcome on this campus; they did not find the same sense of belonging or sense of representation other students may find on campus.

Within the next few months, changes on campus should begin to emerge as administration tackles issues from the survey generally related to campus culture and academics. The changes will be informed by suggestions from both student and faculty.

The first obvious effort at changing the overall campus environment comes in the form of a open discussion, aptly entitled “Student Voices at CU: What Racial and Ethnic Inclusion Means for Our Campus”. The event will be held on Feb. 11 in the UMC from 4 to 5:30 p.m., in the UMC Aspen Rooms.

Overall, the chancellor’s goal is for each member of the university to feel comfortable expressing their individuality on campus.

More results from the survey can be found here.