Campus Climate Survey

In Spring 2020, Stetson University conducted a Campus Climate Survey of students, faculty and staff at its DeLand campus and at the College of Law in Gulfport and Tampa Law Center. The survey was conducted by Pryor Education Insights, a national higher education research firm, and results have been compiled into two reports. Each report is accompanied by a Climate Report Summary. The 2020 survey was a follow up to the original Campus Climate Survey conducted by Stetson in 2016.

Final Working Group Reports Action Plan Timeline

Community Update - January 2022

Dear Stetson Community,

As we continue our work together to advance inclusion throughout our Stetson community, we remain thankful for the commitment to promote an exceptional environment that facilitates both belonging and the freedom to thrive here at Stetson. What follows is a preliminary update on our collective campus climate work through the Campus Climate Action Plan (Action Plan). To view both a condensed and detailed version of this progress, please feel free to visit the Campus Climate webpage.

Since our last campus climate webinar in September 2021, the outreach and collaboration with several of our community members has not only informed, but also energized the direction of our joint efforts and other related initiatives. This generosity and collaborative spirit throughout our Stetson community are the driving forces behind this work. Therefore, our gratitude goes out to the student, staff, and faculty leaders and partners throughout our three campuses for their continued enthusiasm, expertise, and leadership.

As a reminder, the Action Plan is a university-wide initiative to address several of the grassroots recommendations generated from the results of the 2020 Campus Climate Survey. It consists of four phases, each with a set of concrete action items for our community to evaluate and/or implement. Phase 1 began in October 2021 and is nearing completion, with some items extending into Phase 2 starting in February 2022. This work and the associated outreach across our campuses are ongoing.

The campus climate work during Fall 2021 primarily consisted of three components:

  1. A listening tour and community engagement process that both introduced the Action Plan and the new Executive Officer for Diversity, Collaboration, and Inclusion role,
  2. the early stages of gathering both qualitative and quantitative data to help inform Stetson’s campus climate work, and
  3. the implementation of Phase 1 of the Action Plan with a focus on both immediate items and needed adjustments based on community feedback during the Listening Tour, which was extended from October 2021 through January 2022 to facilitate as many dialogues as possible.

As we connect with partners throughout the university, we will share additional updates regarding Phase 1 and the transition into Phase 2. In the meantime, we welcome your continued feedback through [email protected] or this anonymous feedback form.

If you or your campus organization/office/committee would like to request a Feedback or Q&A Session to discuss the Action Plan or a particular action item in more detail, please email [email protected].

Action Plan Description and Launch - Sept 2021

Campus Climate Action Plan

We are proud of the work the Stetson community has undertaken over many years to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We have confirmed what we as a community do well, and through the input and independent work of working groups, departments, committees, and organizations across the university, we identified useful steps for the next stage of DEI work at Stetson.

As a university, we recognize that additional work is needed to systemize equity and justice work into our curriculum and in our policies and practices. We also recognize that people across the university are working tirelessly in various capacities to meaningfully instill inclusive values at Stetson. We remain thankful for everything the Stetson community does for each other and for the university.

This cover memo summarizes the process undergone through our most recent studies and provides a preview of four phases recommended for advancing university-wide efforts. We propose a two-year plan designed to reaffirm the values and recommendations learned from the campus climate process. The plan is divided into four stages: 1) Building a Culture of Respect; 2) Cultivating Strong and Collaborative Relationships; 3) Fostering Opportunity and Sustainability; 4) Planning for our Future. Stetson University will maximize the opportunities presented in this Action Plan to refine its diversity and inclusion goals for the overall Stetson University strategic plan.

The Stetson Culture Working Group determined that the group would follow a three-step process that would incorporate feedback and edits from everyone in the group. The three-step process was as follows: Step 1.) Identify some of the key concerns about the Current Normative Behaviors within Stetson’s culture based on the 2020 and 2016 Climate Surveys and each working group member’s experiences and insights; Step 2.) Analyze the Values Gap between Stetson’s overall values and the norms identified in Step 1 and determine as a group four primary areas of concern (“gaps”) to focus the working group’s recommendations; and Step 3.) Provide short- and long-term recommendations on ways to help diminish the gap between the norms and values identified in Steps 2 and 3, wherever they may be.

The Inclusion and Transparent Communication Working Group gathered data and discussed solutions through the following methods: Meetings and discussions with individuals and groups, including with colleagues, our individual offices and departments, and groups such as the Faculty Senate; A review of both the 2016 Rankin & Associates Consulting Campus Climate Assessment Project and the 2020 Pryor Educational Consultants Stetson DeLand Campus Climate Survey, identifying areas of concern related directly to communication; A form soliciting feedback from the community; Discussions among working groups and in four subgroups, which were focused on coordination of communication, crisis response, team and colleague communication, social media, and transparency.

The Stetson Relationship with DeLand Working Group engaged in more data gathering from the DeLand and Stetson communities through focus grouping and surveying, and reviewing existing resources, such as the City of DeLand 2050 Report.

Following this extensive process after the 2020 Climate Report, the major principle emanating from the working groups and community work is the need for Stetson University to embark on a process and a campaign that will instill an inclusive culture and presumption of respect in all aspects of the university.

See below for a condensed timeline proposed for the Stetson Campus Climate Action Plan. The full two-year plan is also attached as an exhibit and includes more detail with references to the three working groups’ full reports, which are also attached as exhibits.

Within the Action Plan, there are multiple opportunities for the community provide feedback and ask questions through the channels outlined below. These opportunities include a University-wide webinar, an online form, and office hours with Stetson’s new Executive Officer for Diversity, Collaboration, and Inclusion, Carmen Johnson, who is overseeing the strategic implementation of the action plan.

Webinar Information

Rolks Report Live Webinar: Campus Climate Action Plan 

Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021

President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, held a community-wide discussion on Tuesday, Sept. 28, advancing diversity and inclusion efforts at Stetson University through the Campus Climate Action Plan. Carmen Johnson, JD, executive officer of Diversity, Collaboration and Inclusion, and co-chairs from Stetson’s three Campus Climate Working Groups joined the president. 
 

Participants: 

  • Carmen Johnson, JD, Executive Office of Diversity, Collaboration and Inclusion; Co-Chair, Stetson Culture Working Group  
  • Sven Smith, PhD, JD, Associate Professor of Sociology and Co-Chair, Stetson Culture Working Group
  • Bud Hanson, Executive Director of Professional and Corporate Education; Professor of Practice; Co-Chair, Relationship Between DeLand and Stetson University   
  • Lisa Diliberto, Director of Communications and Marketing, College of Law; Co-Chair, Inclusive and Transparent Communication  
  • Michèle Alexandre, former Dean of the College of Law; former Co-Chair of the Stetson Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership team

Community Feedback and Office Hours

As we connect with partners throughout the university, we will share additional updates regarding Phase 1 and the transition into Phase 2. In the meantime, we welcome your continued feedback through [email protected] or the anonymous feedback form.

If you or your campus organization/office/committee would like to request a Feedback or Q&A Session to discuss the Action Plan or a particular action item in more detail, please email [email protected].