Columbia University is joining with 26 other universities, including Cornell, Harvard, Michigan, Minnesota, Penn, Texas, Wisconsin and Yale, on the Sexual Misconduct and Climate Survey initiated by the Association of American Universities (AAU). We are seeking a fuller understanding of the campus climate and students’ experiences with sexual misconduct (sexual harassment, coercion, assault and partner violence). The study will assess students’ experiences with sexual misconduct, their perceptions of the campus climate regarding sexual misconduct, and the availability of resources and services. It will be the largest survey of views and experiences concerning sexual misconduct, on or off college campuses.

ALL Columbia University students aged 18 or older who are enrolled in a degree program. The survey is for everyone: undergraduates, graduates and professional students, regardless of whether or not you have experienced sexual misconduct. To responsively shape programs and policies that meet the needs of all students, we must have a picture of all student’s experiences and perceptions of sexual misconduct at Columbia.

On April 6 all Columbia students received an email from Provost Coatsworth with the subject “Campus Climate Survey”. Included in the email is a link to the survey at westat.com. Westat is a private research organization that is administering the survey for all the participating Schools.

You are asked to complete a web survey. The questions in the survey ask about sexual harassment, coercion, assault and partner violence, topics that some may find sensitive. Such direct questions are being asked so that we can collect the information needed to more effectively foster a safe environment where students can flourish both academically and personally. The survey should take 20 minutes for most students and may take up to 35 minutes for some students. When you submit your survey, you will receive a link to a five dollar Amazon gift card.

No. The decision to participate in the survey is yours alone and there is no penalty for declining to do so. Nonetheless, we encourage all Columbia students to participate in order to maximize the value of the survey results. If you do participate, you may skip any question you are not comfortable answering and may exit the survey at any time.

Columbia University is seeking to understand the extent and nature of sexual misconduct at the University. The AAU study is designed to present a picture of perceptions and experiences with sexual harassment, coercion, assault and intimate partner violence at Columbia and the 26 other participating schools. We need to hear all the different student voices—undergraduate, graduate and professional students—in order to paint a complete picture. That includes students who have experienced sexual misconduct, as well as those who have not, and students from the gender, sexual and racial and ethnic identities that make up our University community. The picture will not be complete without your participation.

Yes. Your name and other personal identifying information will not appear on your survey questionnaire or in the data file containing your responses and all data will be collected via a secure website hosted at Westat. The results of the study will be presented in summary form so no individual can be identified.

Yes. Columbia will share the results publicly in the fall in a manner that carefully protects all of our student’s privacy. The AAU will publicly release the aggregate results from across the 27 participating Universities.

If you lost your email invitation, the survey Help Desk can assist you by e-mail at CampusClimateHelp@westat.com or by phone at 1(855) 497-4787. The Help Desk will ask you for your school e-mail address and resend the e-mail with your unique link included. Help Desk staff will not be able to re-send the e-mail immediately, or provide the URL over the phone; it will typically be re-sent within 24 hours during the normal business week.

Please contact Disability Services at access@columbia.edu to request the survey in an alternate format that meets your needs.