MALVERN, Pa. — Penn State Great Valley released the results of a survey of students’ experiences with and attitudes about sexual misconduct today (April 12), including a finding that 100% of Great Valley students who responded said they feel safe from sexual assault on and around campus. The results are part of a comprehensive University-wide survey conducted last fall.
The Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey is part of an ongoing broad-based initiative by Penn State to significantly curtail sexual misconduct on all of its campuses, while at the same time expanding its efforts to provide an effective response to any cases. The survey asked students about their experiences, as well as about their attitudes, and awareness of the resources available for preventing and responding to sexual misconduct.
“The results of this survey are important in allowing Great Valley to understand the current climate and continuing our battle against sexual misconduct. Providing a safe and secure environment for our students to live and learn is our priority across the commonwealth,” said Colin Neill, chancellor, dean and chief academic officer at Penn State Great Valley.
“I want to thank all of the students who took the time to complete the survey,” Neill said. “Penn State Great Valley offers services to students who may have been a victim of sexual misconduct, including a 24/7 crisis hotline, mental health counseling, and Title IX resources and it is through surveys such as this that we can assess the impact of those services and identify where additional resources may be necessary. I am encouraged that 100% of survey respondents felt safe on or around campus, but I do want to increase the awareness surrounding the hotlines, websites, offices and resources we have available to students, as this is clearly an area in which we can improve."
At Penn State Great Valley, 184 students received the survey, and the response rate was 18%. University-wide, a representative sample of 7,352 students completed the survey, including both undergraduates and graduate students. Completely anonymous, voluntary and completed electronically, the survey covered topics such as whether a student thinks the University would take a report of sexual misconduct seriously, whether the student is aware of resources available and whether they would walk a friend home who had had too much to drink.
Summaries of the findings for each of the 23 Penn State campuses where students were surveyed, including Penn State Great Valley, can be found online.
The survey itself was based on the Administration Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative (ARC3) survey, which was created based on suggestions from the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. Penn State’s survey was administered by the Office of Student Affairs Research and Assessment, which partnered with DatStat, a data research company the University has worked with on other survey projects.
For more information about resources to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct at Penn State Great Valley, contact JoAnn Kelly, director, Enrollment Management and Student Services, at [email protected].
