About the Survey

The following information was distributed to the FIT community in advance of the Climate Assessment Survey.

Purpose

The purpose of the project is to provide important information about our learning, living, and working environment.  The campus climate assessment project (.pdf) is supported by FIT's senior administration.  The Climate Study Working Group (CSWG) is comprised of members from faculty, students, and staff from the FIT community.  The FIT administration has commissioned this survey with the hope that we will have 100% participation in the survey within the campus community, however participation is voluntary.  

Results of the Survey

The survey results will be used in the following ways:

  1. to assist FIT in developing recommendations for inclusion;
  2. to assist all areas of the campus in focusing their efforts to make the campus inclusive and welcoming for all.  

The results of the survey will be reported in meetings for all members of the campus community.  Survey participants will also be able to learn about the results online on the FIT webpage.

The results of the survey are also available online. More than 16% of the FIT community completed the survey and the responses, which are reflected in this report, present a portrait of diversity on campus. The executive summary and the full report are available by logging in to MyFIT and clicking on "Office of the Presiden

Survey Date

The survey will be administered online starting on October 2, 2012. All students and all employees are asked to take the survey. Participation is strongly encouraged and incentives will be provided.  

Incentives

After submitting a survey response, users may enter a drawing for one of the incentives listed below. No survey information is connected to entering the drawing.  

  • iPad (grand prize)
  • women's gift bag
  • men's gift bag

Accessing the Survey

The survey will be available October 2, 2012 at https://online.survey.psu.edu/fitnyc. If you do not have access to a computer, you can use the public access computers on campus in CC15, CC15A, or in the lobbies of the Business and Liberal Arts Center, the Feldman Center, and the Pomerantz Center. A limited number of paper copies of the survey will also be available in the Office of Disability Support Services (FIT-ABLE), Dubinsky Student Center, Room A570.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is guaranteed.  The answers to the surveys will be submitted directly to Rankin and Associates. The IP address that is used in submitting the survey will be stripped when it reaches Rankin and Associates.  The campus will receive reports of group results only (no individual answers) and no individual will be identifiable in the results.

Statement of Confidentiality for Participation

In the event of any publication or presentation resulting from the assessment, no personally identifiable information will be shared.  Your confidentiality in participating will be kept to the degree permitted by the technology used (e.g., IP addresses will be stripped when the survey is submitted). No guarantees can be made regarding the interception of data sent via the Internet by any third parties; however, to avoid interception of data, the survey is run on a firewalled web server with forced 128-bit SSL security.  In addition, the external consultant (Ranking & Associates) will not report any group data for groups of fewer than five individuals that may be small enough to compromise confidentiality.  Instead, Rankin & Associates will combine the groups to eliminate any potential for demographic information to be identifiable.  Please also remember that you do not have to answer any question or questions about which you are uncomfortable.

Statement of Anonymity for Comments

Upon submission, all comments from participants will be de-identified in an attempt to make those comments anonymous.  Thus, participant comments will not be attributable to their author nor to any demographic characteristics.  However, depending on what you say, others who know you may be able to attribute certain comments to you.  The anonymous comments will be analyzed using content analysis and submitted as an appendix to the survey report.  In order to give voice to the quantitative data, some anonymous comments may be quoted in publications related to this survey. 

Survey Length

The survey will take between 15 and 30 minutes to complete.  The survey must be completed in one sitting as no ID numbers are attached to the survey in order to protect your identity.  If you close your browser, you will lose any responses you previously entered.  

Questions About the Survey

Questions about the survey should be directed to:

Susan R. Rankin, PhD
Rankin & Associates Consulting
P.O. Box 576
Howard, PA 16841
[email protected]

or to members of the Climate Study Working Group.