Campus Climate
About the Inaugural Campus Climate Survey
Effective July 25, 2021, Senate Bill 5227 requires institutions of higher education to conduct a campus climate survey to better understand the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion for students, staff, and faculty. With funding from Washington State legislation, higher education institutions are tasked to complete a comprehensive and extensive survey that assesses their campus climate, focusing on questions related to the experience of belonging, safety and identifying systems that promoted or hindered equity.
From February 9 to March 9, 2023, Seattle Colleges conducted a districtwide survey to evaluate the current learning and working environment as it relates to equity, diversity, inclusion, and community (EDIC).
The Office of EDIC, on behalf of Seattle Colleges, partnered with Insight Into Diversity to design and administer the survey. EDIC staff engaged with individuals across our colleges to provide feedback on the survey design before it was administered. Members of our community, including students, provided feedback and edits to shape the survey questions, adding and removing sections that did not pertain to the Seattle Colleges. Moving forward, we will have the chance to edit the survey to include any institutional changes, edit existing questions, and add new ones.
Four EDIC climate surveys were implemented for each of our college community groups; faculty, staff, administrators, and students. All administrators, faculty, staff, and students were invited to complete the campus climate survey. The survey was available for four weeks and was also offered to students in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Amharic.
Climate Survey Results 2023
- Climate Survey Results 2023
Information includes response data from employees and students available via interactive dashboards as well as focus group summaries
Framework for Advancing Anti-Racism on Campus
In collaboration with EDIC, Seattle Colleges utilizes the Framework for Advancing Anti-Racism Strategies on Campus (NADHOE) and its 10 Priorities. The climate survey is priority 9 and states the purpose of the survey is “To gauge the institution's racialized temperature to illuminate and address inequitable conditions (policies and practices) relating to both institutional and interpersonal. Interactions that affect the well-being of all members of the Campus community including BIPOC students, staff and faculty."
Seattle Colleges is invested in gathering responses and listening to the community voices to help guide the institution in making changes and developing a long-term strategic plan to bring us closer to a more inclusive, anti-racist and welcoming environment for everyone.
Our vision is to continue to refine our responses, policies, and awareness as we map out future opportunities for our community through the lens of EDIC. With our campus partners, EDIC aims to use the survey and other methods of gathering feedback as a way to co-create the future of Seattle Colleges as we evolve together. Each participant’s voice in the surveys and feedback sessions are vital to understanding our changing community climate.
Climate Survey Action
In the summer of 2023, a team of faculty, staff and administrators created an action plan from the results of each survey for the possible implementation of solutions and changes. In the fall of 2023, the Seattle College District Strategic Plan team was formed and the work completed by the summer team was folded into the larger district-wide strategic plan utilizing the Framework for Advancing Anti-Racism Strategies on Campus as guiding principles. This strategic plan will be completed in December 2024.
Campus Climate Focus Groups
The data from the survey showed that the least participation was from the Black/African American and Indigenous populations. As a result, EDIC held affinity focus groups. We started with students on each campus to gather more voices. We will continue affinity focus groups for all community members as a regular check-in and provide multiple ways to participate.