Surveys assess campus diversity, student health

This semester has been characterized for Notre Dame students not only by snow flurries, but also question flurries — from Google surveys for classes posted on Facebook groups to detailed questionnaires administered by the Division of Student Affairs. The Diversity and Inclusion Campus Climate Survey and the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey were sent to both undergraduate and graduate students, Lissa Bill, senior counselor to the vice president for student affairs, said in an email.

This is the first time the Diversity and Inclusion Campus Climate Survey is being administered to students, Bill said.

“At Notre Dame we would like students from all backgrounds regardless of color, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class and nationality to experience and contribute to a community where they feel welcome and included,” she said. “This assessment is a step in identifying areas where that is happening and where we need to improve. The NCHA survey has been administered in previous years, most recently in 2013, and allows us to better understand general health behaviors of our students.”

Individual responses to the surveys will remain private, Bill said.

"The surveys are administered by national organizations, EBI MAP-Works and American College Health Association,” she said. “Survey results that Notre Dame will receive will not contain identifying information for individuals. For the Diversity and Inclusion Campus Climate Survey, aggregated results will be shared with University administrators and two advisory committees to the vice president for student affairs that are comprised of students, faculty and staff.

“The aggregated results for the NCHA Survey will be shared with University administrators and the Healthy Campus Coalition, a coalition facilitated by the McDonald Center for Student Well-Being, also comprised of students, faculty and staff,” Bill said.

Each survey was sent to 5,860 students, Bill said. Both surveys are national surveys that are being administered at other institutions.

“We will receive aggregated peer results, which will allow us to benchmark ourselves against other universities and, in turn, our aggregated results will be shared with peer institutions,” she said. “Notre Dame will not be identified by name in any shared reports. American College Health Association publishes a national summary of NCHA results describing general health behaviors of American college students.”

Data and feedback collected in the stories will “enrich student life, programming and resources at Notre Dame,” Bill said.

“... We will use your feedback to enrich student life, programming and resources at Notre Dame,” she said.  “These surveys are the best opportunity the University has to allow students to share information about their experience at Notre Dame and provide candid feedback. The more students that participate, the greater confidence we have in moving forward and improving the campus experience for all students at Notre Dame.”