Rutgers University-Wide Faculty and Staff Sexual Harassment Campus Climate Assessment
The Academic and Workplace Behaviors and Environment Survey (AWBES) was the first university-wide survey of faculty, part-time lecturers, staff, postdoctoral fellows and associates, teaching assistants (TAs), and graduate assistants (GAs) designed to establish a baseline understanding of the experiences of Rutgers faculty and staff related to sexual harassment and workplace mistreatment.
Sponsored by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (EVPAA), the survey aimed to help the university assess, prevent, and effectively respond to harassment among employees. The findings provide a reference point for measuring progress and guide decision-making to foster a more inclusive community free of harassment at Rutgers. The results from this survey were released in Fall 2024 and are available on the survey website.
The survey launched on November 3, 2022, and was open for 6 weeks, until December 15. To finalize the survey tool, the research team completed a multi-phase, iterative review process that requested participation from a number of individuals and offices across the University. Reviewer feedback helped tailor the tool to each of Rutgers University’s unique campus environments and ensure the relevancy and accuracy of survey items and response options.
Recruitment and outreach planning efforts prior to survey launch focused on engaging executive leadership, developing appropriate recruitment strategies, creating inward- and outward-facing communications plans, and coordinating with key offices across campuses.
Rutgers University faculty, part-time lecturers, staff, postdoctoral fellows and associates, teaching assistants (TAs), and graduate assistants (GAs) employed at the start of the Fall 2022 semester were invited to participate via email in the survey. Participation in the survey was entirely voluntary. The sample consisted of 64.5% staff, 29.4% faculty, 4.1% TAs or GAs, and 2.0% postdoctoral associates.
In 2023, the research team analyzed the survey data and produced a series of university-wide reports of all findings, as well as one with key findings and recommendations. In 2024, they convened the University-wide Steering Committee, consisting of 27 members of Rutgers faculty and staff, to develop draft recommendations to address the survey findings, which were then reviewed and accepted by President Holloway and university leadership during the summer of 2024.
The REV research team is convening workgroups from each of the Chancellor-led units, who are charged with reviewing the survey data and University-wide Steering Committee’s work to create action plans tailored to each CLU. Please visit this survey website for results, recommendations, and resources.