Campus Culture Survey

VanderCook College of Music conducted the 2024 campus survey in response to a bill written by students and supported by survivor advocates in Illinois that was signed into law on August 6, 2021. The new law amended the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. The Public Act 102-0325 (110 ILCS 155/35) mandated all institutions of higher education conduct an annual campus sexual misconduct climate survey to assess students’ experiences, outcomes regarding their experiences, and perceptions of sexual violence and collegiate culture. The law called for the creation of a Task Force on Sexual Misconduct on Campus Climate Surveys to develop the base survey instrument and implementation guidance. The Task Force was charged with creating the survey which focuses the following areas outlined in the statute:

• The number, type, and location of reported and unreported incidents of sexual misconduct.
• Student awareness of institutions’ sexual misconduct policies and procedures.
• Whether the student was referred to victim support services and whether students were provided information on his/her/their rights.
• Student demographic information such as race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, and immigration status to help identify at-risk groups.
• The perceptions of campus safety and confidence in the higher education institution’s ability to protect students against sexual misconduct.
• Contextual factors of a sexual misconduct incident and any student academic outcomes, such as withdrawing from classes or being placed on academic probation.

Understanding our community’s perspectives helps us ensure that our campus is safe, inclusive, and supportive of everyone. We are grateful to the students who shared their voices. Their feedback guides our commitment to positive change.

VanderCook College of Music opened the campus climate survey from Friday, November 1, 2024 through Friday, November 22, 2024 to all graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in our programs (BMEd, BMped, MMEd) in the preceding 12 months. Completing this survey was optional and all participation was anonymous. The survey took approximately 15 – 20 minutes to complete and participants could withdraw at any time without penalty or prejudice.

Twenty-three people responded to the survey. For results, view the Survey Report.

These findings inform our strategic planning, guide our policies, and shape new initiatives to strengthen our college.

Below is the link provided for our campus climate survey.