UTRGV has hired an independent research and consulting firm to help survey students, faculty and staff on how the school can promote a welcoming, inclusive and nurturing campus climate.
“[Students, faculty and staff] should participate [in the survey] because this gives them an opportunity to share their ideas and opinions,” UTRGV Staff Senate President Lisa Smith said. “It makes us more accountable to strengthen our campus climate.”
As part of UTRGV’s “Transforming our World Strategic Plan,” the survey hopes to acquire data that will help the university develop a plan to strengthen values around engagement, shared governance, leadership, inclusion and well-being.
ModernThink LLC will conduct the campuswide surveys, one for faculty and staff, and one for students.
The survey is voluntary and anonymous. All responses will go directly to and be processed by the firm.
For questions about how ModernThink will protect confidentiality, call (888) 684-4658 or email surveys@modernthink.net.
The mobile-friendly survey was launched March 26 and will continue until April 9. Students, faculty and staff will receive an email from ModernThink with details about the survey and how to take it.
Patrick Gonzales, UTRGV’s associate vice president for University Marketing and Communications, said he encourages students, faculty and staff to take the survey and be honest in their responses.
“If we are to create an accurate picture of what our campus climate is, what we need to improve on, what we need to fix, the more participation, the more honest feedback, the better results we’re going to have,” Gonzales said.
He told The Rider the results of the survey will be available on the UTRGV website once the university receives them. Preliminary results should be available online sometime in May and full ones in the fall, according to Smith.
The Staff Senate president said UTRGV will conduct a follow-up survey in 2021.
“We’ve actually already signed up for that with [ModernThink],” she said. “So, we are dedicated to measuring our progress.”
For a list of frequently asked questions about the survey, visit utrgv.edu/climatesurvey.
