USC releases results of survey on campus climate around sexual assault, misconduct
Two town hall sessions will be held today so the university community can discuss the findings.
USC administrators will hold two town hall sessions today to discuss the just-released results of a national survey designed to better understand the climate around sexual assault and sexual misconduct at universities around the country.
Last spring, the Association of American Universities led this survey of 33 member universities as a follow-up to a similar study in 2015.
“We participated both years because we believe this information will help us identify the work we need to do to provide safe campuses for all members of the USC community,” USC Chief Student Health Officer Sarah Van Orman and Vice President of Student Affairs Winston Crisp wrote in a letter to the university community.
The full release of data can be found on the Campus Climate Survey Data website; the condensed findings are summarized in the Data Spotlight.
“We wanted to make sure you had the information as soon as it was publicly available,” Van Orman and Crisp wrote, noting USC President Carol L. Folt’s belief that “real change comes when we create an open dialogue.”
The town hall sessions will be held at:
- University Park Campus: Noon-1:30 p.m. at Town and Gown (RSVP to this town hall).
- Health Sciences Campus: 4:30-6 p.m. in Mayer Auditorium (RSVP to this town hall).
The survey of almost 200,000 students from the participating AAU schools provides invaluable data points to help USC – and peer universities across the country – benchmark where they are and highlight how much work is yet to be done.
“The survey results clearly show the need for ongoing work to strengthen the prevention and intervention efforts already underway, and to provide additional support for those impacted,” Van Orman and Crisp wrote, adding that USC has increased efforts in these areas in recent years.
In addition to the town halls, the provost’s office has appointed a task force to review the AAU survey data. The task force will release a report in the spring detailing its findings and recommendations for next steps.
