Boston University School of Public Health Student Climate Survey

The audience will learn about the components of a positive student climate for diversity, its connection to public health practice, and learn from the Boston University School of Public Health’s (BUSPH’s) student-led climate survey development process.

Two Masters in Public Health Students at the BUSPH began designing  a student climate survey in 2012 in order to create a useful evaluation tool for faculty, staff, and students. To inform survey content, the students engaged key stakeholders of the student climate. This included organizing a diverse 8-member student committee that operated in a collaborative, discussion-based format for 9 months; eliciting feedback from 13 faculty and 16 staff members across concentrations; and conducting a literature assessment of existing higher education climate surveys. The survey is now being finalized with BUSPH’s Student Services and Education offices for administration to current students.

The vision is that the survey will provide a baseline understanding of the psychological and behavioral student climate for diversity and opportunities available to students for learning about the principles of social justice at the BUSPH. This assessment will help to identify and build upon the capacity of the BUSPH to provide a positive climate for diversity and prepare students to improve health outcomes by advancing social justice in the field.

After a two-week survey administration period, the responses will be analyzed and results will be reported to the BUSPH community. The report will provide a background on the existing literature, methodology used, and the importance of student climate surveys for ensuring a positive climate for diversity in institutions of higher education. Additionally, the report will describe the structural climate for diversity, give a quantitative and qualitative analyses of responses, and include a discussion with recommendations for action where appropriate.