Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey 2025

Why is Boston College conducting a Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey?

• The Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey is designed to measure our campus climate regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence (sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking). Climate surveys have been identified as a best practice for universities to understand sexual misconduct on their campuses better.
• Our University is dedicated to fostering a caring community. Every member of the Boston College community has a right to an education free from discrimination, and Boston College is committed to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to fully benefit from the school’s programs and activities. It is critically important to create and maintain a community environment that respects every individual. 
• This qualitative and quantitative research effort will allow us to better understand the experiences of our community. The survey is designed to assess perceptions and behaviors related to a wide range of issues regarding sexual harassment and violence that impact our students. Gathering data about our student’s experiences, as well as our community’s perception(s) and knowledge around these issues will better inform our efforts to end sexual harassment and violence at Boston College.
• We know from the research that thriving campus climates contribute directly to overall success for students, staff, and faculty. This information will help us better understand how members of our community experience harassment, bias, and a lack of support that can lead individuals to elect to leave the Boston College community. This is an opportunity for you to ensure your voice is part of this effort. 
• The Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey complies with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2021 Campus Sexual Assault Law (chapter 337 of the Acts of 2020), which is specifically focused on campus responses to sexual violence.
  

What happens as a part of the Assessment?

• This December, we will be developing the survey and submitting our IRB proposal. 
• In February, we will administer the campus-wide survey. 
• Behind the scenes, our consultant, Rankin Climate, will also be analyzing our institutional policies and procedures. 
• This Spring and Summer, we will conduct data analysis and begin to develop the report.
• Results will be presented in the Fall of 2025 and that will be the start of our Action Planning so that the lessons we learn throughout the process can be acted upon.
  

How are the questions developed?

• Boston College’s survey instrument was developed by the Administrator-Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative (ARC3), comprised of leading researchers in sexual harassment and violence, Title IX administrators, and student affairs professionals. 
• The ARC3 Survey was developed in response to the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault; it was designed to assess the perpetration and victimization of sexual misconduct on college campuses in the United States.
• A committee of administrators from Boston College is working to ensure the survey fully represents our campus and our community. The results will help Boston College better understand the campus climate related to sexual misconduct, which is essential to maintaining a safe environment.
• The survey questions gather a comprehensive picture of a campus climate about sexual violence issues. 
• The survey has been used by more than 300 colleges and universities in the U.S. as well as internationally. It has been implemented by the state university systems of Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. It was also used by the entire university systems of Denmark and Ireland. Additionally, the survey instrument used by Boston College has been modified to ensure compliance with the requirements outlined in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Task Force guidance.

Will everyone receive an invitation to participate?

• The survey will be administered to all students at Boston College. Climate exists in micro-climates, so creating opportunities to maximize participation is important as well as maximizing opportunities to reach minority populations. Along these lines, the consultant has recommended not using random sampling as we may “miss” particular populations where numbers are very small (e.g., Native American students). Since one goal of the project is inclusiveness and allowing invisible “voices” to be heard, this sampling technique is not used. In addition, randomized stratified sampling is not used because we do not have population data on most identities. For example, Boston College collects population data on gender identity and racial identity, but not on disability status or sexual identity. A sample approach could miss many groups.

What is the response rate goal?

• The target participants in the survey are all students at Boston College. Every response matters and is valuable in providing the most beneficial feedback and results.

What will be included in the final summary reports?

• The consultant, Rankin Climate, will provide a final executive summary and a comprehensive data visualization dashboard. 
• Per the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Taskforce guidelines, a summary of findings will be published and shared with our community.

What will be done with the data?

• The purpose of conducting the survey is to assess student’s campus climate regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence and to identify successes and opportunities for improvement. 
• Rankin Climate will work with campus partners to synthesize and analyze the survey data. Boston College will be provided with an executive summary of findings from the survey and an interactive data visualization tool. This data will be used by senior leadership, with input from key campus constituencies across campus to create an action plan to further our efforts around sexual violence prevention and response. 

What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process for this study?

• Submitting the survey to an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an important step in the sexual misconduct climate study project. There are several benefits to going through this process, even if the survey is considered to be "exempt" or "not human subjects research." Firstly, it provides some assurance to potential participants that their responses to the survey will remain confidential. People who have participated in social science research may recognize and expect that the process has been reviewed by IRB. They may feel more comfortable sharing their confidential information and personal stories. Secondly, going through an IRB review provides some protections to the Principal Investigators (PIs) who will be entrusted with analyzing and managing the data, including both Rankin Climate and the institutional PIs. The expectation is that the data will not be shared with others, as designated in the data security plan. Lastly, an IRB review provides some cache to the study in the eyes of those who conduct research professionally, such as faculty members and scientists. These individuals understand what an IRB review requires and the protections for the data to which research professionals commit.  
• The primary investigators from Boston College for the IRB process are Dr. Claire Ostrander, Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives in the Division of Student Affairs, and Dr. Stephanie Chappe, Director of Institutional Research in the Division of Institutional Research and Planning at Boston College. An IRB application has been submitted for the project. Once the project is approved, the survey will be administered.

Do I have to take the survey?

• Participation in the survey is completely voluntary. All students aged 18 years or older enrolled for the Spring 2025 semester are invited to complete the survey.
  

How is a respondent’s confidentiality protected?

• Confidentiality is vital to the success of the sexual misconduct climate study; particularly as sensitive and personal topics are discussed. While the survey cannot guarantee complete confidentiality because of the nature of multiple demographic questions, the consultant will take multiple precautionary measures to enhance individual confidentiality and the de-identification of data. No data already protected through regulation or policy (e.g., Social Security number, campus identification number, medical information) is obtained through the survey. In the event of any publication or presentation resulting from the assessment, no personally identifiable information will be shared.
• Confidentiality in participating will be maintained to the highest 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 256-bit SSL security. In addition, the consultant and college will not report any group data for groups of fewer than five individuals, because those “small cell sizes” may be small enough to compromise confidentiality. Instead, the consultant and the college will combine the groups or take other measures to eliminate any potential for demographic information to be identifiable. Additionally, any comments submitted in response to the survey will be separated at the time of submission to the consultant so they are not attributed to any individual demographic characteristics. Identifiable information submitted in qualitative comments will be redacted and the college will only receive these redacted comments.
• Participation in the survey is completely voluntary, and participants do not have to answer any question and can skip any other questions they consider to be uncomfortable. Paper and pencil surveys are also available and will be sent directly to the consultant.
• Information in the introductory section of the survey will describe the manner in which confidentiality will be guaranteed, and additional communication to participants will provide expanded information on the nature of confidentiality, possible threats to confidentiality, and procedures developed to ensure de-identification of data.

What protections are in place for the storage of sensitive data, including for future secondary use?

• Rankin Climate uses a research data security description and protocol, which includes specific information on data encryption, the handling of personally identifiable information, physical security, and a protocol for handling unlikely breaches of data security. The data from online participants will be submitted to a secure server hosted by the consultant. The SaaS hosting platform is SOC2. The firewall is via Next-Gen Fortigate Firewall. Data is stored in a SQL database which can only be accessed by VPN via authorized personnel only. Our encryption for communication is via HTTPS TLS 1.2. Rankin Climate associates working on the project will have access to the raw data. All Rankin Climate analysts have CITI (Human Subjects) training and approval and have worked on similar projects for other institutions. The server performs an hourly and daily backup and stores the backup on a separate context offsite for safety.
• The consultant has conducted more than 250 institutional surveys and maintains an aggregate merged database. The data from the Boston College project will be merged with all other existing climate data stored indefinitely on the consultant’s secure server. No institutional identifiers are included in the full merged data set held by the consultant. The raw unit-level data with institutional identifiers is kept on the server for six months and then destroyed. 
• The consultant will provide the primary investigator with a data file after the project.

How can I get involved?

• When we launch the survey in February, please fill out the survey and encourage your Boston College peers to do the same! 
• Visit Weblink will be available late January to find comprehensive information about Boston College’s sexual violence prevention and response, including information and recommendations to get involved in our work to combat sexual violence. Spread the word and help us ensure that our community is involved in this entire process. 
• Ensuring inclusive and equitable campus experiences for all members of the Boston College community requires us to deeply listen and understand these often disparate experiences. You can help us gather voices!
  

Who's on the committee?

The committee is led by:

• Claire Ostrander, Ed.D., Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives

Other committee members include: 

• Mara Hermano, Vice President of Institutional Research and Planning 
• Stephanie Chappe, Ph.D., Director of Institutional Research
• Nora Field, General Counsel
• Stephanie Charles, Associate General Counsel
• Patricia Lowe, Associate Vice President, Office of Institutional Diversity/ University Title IX Coordinator

Why was an outside consultant used for this project?

• In reviewing efforts by other universities to conduct comprehensive culture climate studies, several best practices were identified. The administration of a survey relating to a very sensitive subject like cultural climate is likely to yield higher response rates and provide more credible findings if led by an independent, outside agency. Members of a college community may feel particularly inhibited to respond honestly to a survey administered by their institution for fear of retaliation.
  

Why did the committee select Rankin Climate as their outside consultant?

• After a review of potential vendors, the working group selected Rankin Climate. Rankin Climate has been working with college campuses for over 20 years and has conducted assessments on more than 230 college campuses nationwide. This project is advised by Dr. Kevin Swartout, one of the founding members of the ARC3 and a leader at Rankin Climate. Additionally, Rankin Climate has worked closely with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Task Force in developing their model survey.
• The process is highly confidential and transparent. No protected data is used in the project. 
  

Where can I learn more?

• The website is the best place to learn more. You will find peer-reviewed research on sexual mosconduct campus climate assessment, ways to get involved, and more.