The Work Continues: Ending Sexual Violence on Campus

Campus Climate Survey Enables UNM to Make 'Impactful Decisions'

It's been nearly 18 months since the rallying cries of #MeToo and #TimesUp swept through the Internet with increasing momentum. A year and a half later, higher education institutions across the nation continue pushing forward to end sexual intimidation, harassment and assault.

The University of New Mexico is adding to the conversation through student training (The Grey Area) and the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center. Since spring 2016, UNM has participated in campus climate surveys assessing sexual violence on campus, in order to create awareness and prevention programs based on anonymous input directly from our students.

This year, the Multi-College Bystander Efficacy Evaluation (McBEE) Campus Climate Survey will once again be sent to UNM undergraduate students on Main Campus following Spring Break. Although the survey links will be sent from uprevent@uky.edu, it is a UNM survey.

Simultaneously, the National Campus Climate Survey (NCCS) will be sent to graduate and professional students on main and north campus, from the address NCCS@ssgresearch.com. All survey responses and data will be de-identified to ensure the privacy of survey participants. Participants who complete the surveys will be entered into a drawing for a variety of prizes including a drawing for a $100 Visa/MC/AMEX gift card. UNM students will also be entered into a drawing for one of ten $50 Visa or MC gift cards, Lobo merchandise and more.

The results of the 2019 Campus Climate Survey will directly influence UNM's approach to addressing sexual violence. To ensure the development of informed campaigns and programs, it's critical that UNM receives a high rate of response to the survey.

"Student participation is essential," said Angela Catena, Title IX coordinator at UNM's Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). "This is a platform that allows students to voice their opinion and share their experiences. We hope to have a high participation rate, as this will provide the university with a more accurate understanding of student life at UNM."

The McBEE survey is an abbreviated questionnaire modeled after the 2015 AAU campus climate survey and includes measures of sexual and partner violence for both victimization and perpetration. The study is being conducted by the University of Kentucky with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"These surveys provide the university with a plethora of information, including students' knowledge regarding reporting sexual misconduct, accessing resources, and using interventions such as bystander intervention," Catena says. "This data will assist the university in identifying what we do well as well as areas for improvement. These surveys are instrumental in UNM's efforts to create a safer campus environment for each and every Lobo."

As part of an agreement with the Department of Justice, UNM pledged to conduct annual campus climate surveys. Participation in the McBEE and NCCS surveys meets that requirement at no cost to UNM.

Questions about the survey can be directed to UNM's Office of Equal Opportunity.