Tulane survey to gauge climate of sexual violence

Tulane students can take a stand against sexual violence in their community by completing the university’s first Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey designed to record student experiences involving sexual harassment and sexual violence. The survey is open to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students from Sunday, Jan. 29, through Sunday, Feb. 19.

“It’s important to learn what these issues look like at Tulane — what our students feel and think,” said Meredith Smith. “As the university’s first dedicated Title IX coordinator, I’m eager to work on these issues. This is a demonstration of our commitment to eradicate sexual violence.”

The Administrator-Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative (ARC3), a partnership between leading sexual violence researchers and university Title IX administrators, developed the confidential web survey.

“The data will allow us to create programs that directly speak to the Tulane experience.”

— Meredith Smith, Title IX coordinator at Tulane University

Students will spend an average of 25 minutes answering questions based on their experiences with sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking and intimate partner violence.

The information collected will be crucial for creating prevention and response programming designed to improve campus safety.

As the survey covers topics beyond victimization rates, like knowledge of support resources, Smith says that it is also important to hear from students who have not experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence.

“The goal is to have the highest participation rate in the nation,” said Smith, noting that Harvard University currently holds the title at 53 percent.

If the participation rate at Tulane reaches 54 percent, students can celebrate during a free sno-ball event held at the end of the spring semester.

Upon completing the survey, students can also choose an additional reward — a $5 Amazon gift card or an entry into a grand prize lottery. Grand prizes include one year of free textbooks from the Tulane University Bookstore, a $125 Commander's Palace gift card and a “Tulane President for the Day” experience, in which the winner will have lunch with President Fitts and be chauffeured around campus in the presidential golf cart.

For questions concerning the survey, please contact sexualmisconductsurvey@tulane.edu.

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