Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement
CWC Survey FAQs
Invitations and reminders were sent to university email inboxes during the survey period of October 18 to November 19, 2021.
The university is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all members of our community feel respected, supported and valued. The purpose of the Campus and Workplace Culture Survey was to gather information from CU Anschutz students, residents/fellows, faculty and staff about their academic and workplace environments.
We are using the results from this survey to better understand our existing culture and to identify both strengths and priorities to achieve a more just, equitable and inclusive culture at CU Anschutz.
In October 2021, students, residents/fellows, faculty and staff were invited to participate in the survey, which closed in November 2021.
TheCU Denver | Anschutz Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) will administer the survey. OIRE administers a number of surveys on a regular schedule and client-requested surveys on special topics or for special populations on an ad hoc basis.
OIRE follows best practices in survey and data security standards.
Survey participants' privacy is of utmost importance to us, and strict internal safeguards are in place to ensure that privacy.
No one outside of the CU Denver | Anschutz Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) staff—no administrators, supervisors or faculty—has had or will have access to survey respondents’ identities or to files that may connect names or email addresses with answers to survey questions.
Members of the OIRE team manage the survey email distribution list, wherein it is recorded who had and had not completed the survey questionnaire.
As participants submitted their surveys, the identifying information that permitted the database manager to keep track of who did and did not respond to the survey was automatically deleted. In other words, each case in the final data file is an anonymous case. In addition, the data file is encrypted and stored in a secure, encrypted drive which only OIRE staff can access.
Questionnaire responses are aggregated for statistical analysis and reporting. We aggregate the data to groups of 10 or more responses in order to maintain the anonymity of survey participants. If any demographic group or combination of group characteristics had than 10 individuals, those data were not be reported. OIRE will not provide any findings that would risk making someone identifiable due to the uniqueness of their demographic characteristics, years at CU, faculty rank, job category, department, major, or a combination of those factors. Your anonymity is our first duty of care and will be protected in all reports resulting from this survey.
Please email cwcsurvey@cuanschutz.edu for more information regarding steps taken to ensure anonymity and confidentiality.
Now that the 2021 survey has closed, data have been encrypted in transit to OIRE. The full database of anonymized responses is held by OIRE in encrypted form on their secure server. The de-identified data will be stored to allow investigation of trends by comparison with future surveys.
The survey is part of a broader effortunderway on all four CU campuses.
Survey questions were informed by prior surveys administered on the CU Boulder campus, including questions drawn from surveys used at other colleges, universities and scientific institutes. Over 5,000 CU Boulder students, staff and faculty participated in the three-year pilot testing phase of development.
Using the CU Boulder instrument as a starting point, the survey was significantly enhanced to meet the unique needs of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
The Campus and Workplace Culture Survey was designed to consolidate CU system “climate” surveying efforts in order to support programs, departments, colleges, divisions, institutes and the campuses at-large in comprehensively measuring our campus culture at all levels and among all constituents.
The Campus and Workplace Culture Survey serves as a tool to support the CU System Strategic Plan by providing benchmarking data for all campuses and, going forward, evidence of progress toward meeting the goals of creating a more inclusive CU community.
There were different versions of the survey, and each one was tailored to the needs and experiences of each constituent group. Faculty, staff, residents/fellows, graduate students and undergraduates will receive different, but comparable versions of the survey.
We know our academic medical campus is one of a kind, and many of you have numerous roles. Our goal with the fall 2021 survey was to get a high-level look at our multifaceted campus community as a whole, knowing that there may be differences in clinical, educational, research and community environments.
The survey took about 10-20 minutes—the time needed to complete the survey varied due to certain answers to some questions prompting follow-up. Those who had more to share may have taken a little longer.
If participants needed to leave the survey before completing their answers, Qualtrics saved their place, and they could pick up where they left off by clicking the same link that came with the email that invited them to participate in the survey.
Yes, it was. The survey was administered through Qualtrics, an online survey platform. CU Boulder's Office of Information Technology (OIT) has tested Qualtrics’ compatibility with screen readers extensively. Only question types that had been tested and shown to be accessible were used in the Campus & Workplace Culture Survey. Learn more about screen reader compatibility.
Every effort was made to ensure that it was possible to take the survey on a mobile platform. However, it was more difficult to review and complete the survey on a smartphone, and it was highly recommended that participants complete the survey on a computer.
The questions addressed the culture of the workplace and classroom, as well as experiences of negative treatment and protected-class harassment and discrimination.
There were also demographic questions because we know that members of different groups may be have different experiences inside and outside the classroom and in the workplace. Demographic questions were developed in collaboration with campus experts to be both sensitive and useful. Results for demographic groups are not be shared if there were fewer than 10 members in the group. We had not and will not present data that is broken out in a way that could inadvertently identify individuals.
We did not ask any open-ended questions on this survey. From past experience, we know that some people will report behaviors that will make it necessary to break the confidentiality agreement because of the seriousness of what they disclose. Examples from the past include survey respondents telling us about illegal behavior like sexual assault or research/fiscal misconduct committed by someone in their department and this has triggered an investigation.
Throughout the survey, there was information on how to officially report problematic behavior or reach confidential resources, along with links that can take people directly to those offices.
By participating in the survey, participants added their voices and perspectives to our effort to understand our campus culture, build on our strengths and identify areas of opportunity for the future.
Due to the strict confidentiality of survey responses, the results of this survey will not benefit anyone personally. However, we hope that students, residents/fellows, faculty and staff will benefit as recommendations arising from this study are adopted by the campus and at the college, department, institute, program or unit levels.
Ultimately, this work will direct CU Anschutz’s efforts to create more equitable and inclusive environments for all students and employees—specifically, environments that attract more diverse and talented people to join our community and that increase student and employee retention. This survey is also intended to benefit the wider community by providing the data needed to take steps to improve the academic and workplace cultures on our campus and to measure our progress going forward.
Staff members in the CU Denver | Anschutz Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness(OIRE) and the CU Anschutz Office of Diversity, Equity Inclusion and Community Engagement (ODEICE) are using the de-identified data set for assessment. This assessment team has performed both descriptive and in-depth analyses and generated reports in Tableau with findings and recommendations for amplifying areas of strength and addressing problems and concerns.
OIRE and ODEICE are worked with units to develop action plans to address concerns and create accountability.
Action plans were presented to the Chancellor and Chancellor's DEICE Leadership Council for review.
OIRE and ODEICE will follow up with units periodically to check on the progress of action plans.
The information you disclosed in this survey did not initiate a formal process of investigation into situations involving protected-class discrimination or harassment, as the survey did not constitute an official report to the university.
The university is committed to providing an inclusive environment where all individuals can achieve their academic and professional aspirations free from discrimination and harassment based upon protected-class identities. Identities that are covered by CU policy are race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation and political philosophy.
Anonymous reports related to concerns about campus academic, research, business integrity or environmental health and safety can be submitted at the CU SystemEthicsPointwebsite.
You do not need to make a formal report to the university in order to receive confidential support.
The Ombuds Office at CU Denver | Anschutz assists all members of our community with informally and impartially resolving complaints or disputes with other individuals, offices or departments within the university. They are a neutral third-party resource that is available to hear individual complaints and help identify options for resolving those concerns. To learn more please visit the Ombuds Office website or call at 303-724-2950.
The Colorado State Assistance Program (C-SEAP) offers counseling and programs for university faculty and staff. This resource is free and confidential, and can be used for work-related or personal support.
Race: Federal civil rights laws do not define race. However, all people have a race or are multiracial and can self-identify. All races are protected under university policy.
Color: Refers to the pigmentation of one’s skin. An individual can make an allegation of color discrimination or color harassment against someone of the same race or color.
National Origin: Refers to a person’s or a person's ancestors' place of origin or to the physical, cultural or linguistic characteristics of an ethnic group.
Sex and Gender: Sex refers to the anatomy and biology that determines whether one is male, female and/or intersex. Gender refers to the social constructs surrounding gender roles.
Gender Identity: Refers to an innate sense of one’s own gender, or an internal sense of who one is, regardless of anatomy.
Gender Expression: Refers to how a person represents or expresses one’s gender to others through external appearance, characteristics or behaviors typically associated with a specific gender.
Sexual Orientation: Refers to the physical or emotional attraction toward a certain sex or gender. Additionally, individuals are protected from discrimination or harassment based on a perception of an individual’s sexual orientation, even if that perception is mistaken.
Disability: Refers to a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of an individual. The policy also protects individuals who are regarded as having a disability or who have a record of a disability.
Pregnancy: Individuals who are pregnant, just gave birth to a child, or suffer a medical condition as a result of pregnancy or childbirth are all protected.
Veteran Status: Refers to anyone who serves or who has served in any branch of the United States armed forces, including students in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Volunteers for military duty must be treated the same as those who are ordered to active duty.
Political Affiliation: Refers to a person’s membership or association with others in commonality of political purpose and support.
Age: Refers to discriminating against individuals because of their age, regardless of their age. Students are protected from age discrimination in academic situations like admissions decisions and residence hall assignments.
Religion/Creed: Refers to religious, moral or ethical beliefs that are sincerely held and includes all aspects of religious observance and practice.
Political Philosophy: Refers to a person’s belief or endorsement of any system of thought pertaining to public policy or the administration of governmental functions.
