Note: The online feedback form to collect responses from anyone in the Penn State community who wishes to provide suggestions related to the Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey is open through Oct. 31. Form responses are anonymous.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – As part of the planning process for the 2022 Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey (SMCS), Penn State is seeking input from students, staff and faculty.
A student focus group will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 13, via Zoom. Students from any campus can register to attend through the online registration form. After registering, students will be sent a link for the Zoom meeting via email.
The focus group will be a facilitated discussion around themes such as additional questions, wording/phrasing, and further analysis or correlations to explore, and will be facilitated by representatives from various key offices, including Title IX, Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response, Gender Equity Center, Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Paul Robeson Cultural Center, and Student Affairs Research and Assessment office.
In addition to the focus group, an online feedback form has been created to collect responses from anyone in the Penn State community who wishes to provide suggestions related to the survey. Form responses are anonymous and will be accepted through Oct. 31, at which time Student Affairs Research and Assessment will review all the feedback and incorporate it into the planning process for the 2022 survey.
Those planning to participate in the focus group or who would like to provide feedback via the form can review the Survey Instrument from the 2018 survey as well as the 2018 survey reports.
“Key colleagues who lead the University’s response to sexual misconduct are committed to doing all they reasonably can to solicit feedback and recommendations through direct interaction with students and others, as we look for new and better ways to finally bring an end to this vexing issue,” said Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs.
Those interested in learning more about the planning process for the upcoming SMCS survey can visit the Student Affairs website to learn more about opportunities to provide input, important dates, and more. Student Affairs will also update this page to share the results of the feedback collected.
The SMCS is a key tool in the ongoing effort to inform policy, student support, and educational programming across the University aimed at reducing sexual misconduct and improving the experience of all Penn State students. It was one of 18 recommendations made by the Task Force on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment, which President Eric Barron appointed in 2014 to study the University’s resources for addressing sexual misconduct. The 2018 survey was the second survey to be conducted. The next survey is planned for 2022. The Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey is administered by Student Affairs Research and Assessment, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs.
While the focus group and feedback from are narrowly focused on the survey, an upcoming Town Hall on will provide a forum for general feedback or questions related to education, prevention, and response efforts around sexual misconduct at Penn State. More details on the Town Hall will be released soon.