The USM campus climate survey: Findings and recommendations
The present investigation of USM Campus Climate was commissioned by the University of Southern Mississippi in 2014, and has been conducted by the Research Initiative on Social Justice and Equity (RISE). RISE is a multi-institutional research consortium with its origins at USM in 2013, and contributions to this report have come from multiple directors, research fellows, research associates, and student fellows of RISE. The data for this project were collected, managed, and have remained under the control and supervision of RISE personnel.We aim in this report to detail the reasons this inquiry was conducted, what we have learned from it, and what we believe are some reasonable recommendations based on the results. Throughout the process of completing this report, we have been in communication with multiple faculty, staff, and student groups to attempt to create a product that is representative of multiple viewpoints, incorporates information about ongoing and upcoming efforts, and that is fair in representing USM as an evolving, unfolding institution working to improve the experience for all students in an environment that is, at times, difficult due to political and financial realities.