From the fall of 2012 through the spring of 2013, the University of California took the unprecedented step of surveying its faculty and other academic appointees, students, staff, trainees, and post-doctoral scholars about their experiences and perceptions of campus or workplace climate. More than 386,000 individuals were invited from the 10 UC campuses, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the UC Office of the President to participate in this study – making it the largest project of its kind in the nation.

By the end of the survey administrations, more than 100,000 responses were collected, and later tabulated and analyzed. This report provides the executive summaries for all 13 locations as well as all locations combined, as prepared by the independent consultant who conducted the study.

This study is one part of UC’s ongoing efforts to foster a healthy and inclusive environment for all members of the University community. Following the consultant’s executive summary, each location has provided a sample of its current and recent efforts. Each UC location will use the findings from this study to develop new actions or initiatives, or enhance existing efforts, that will improve the working, living, and learning environments at the University of California.

History of the project

Although the University had conducted a number of campus climate studies for specific groups (e.g., students or faculty) or specific campuses (e.g., Berkeley and Riverside) in the past, the University of California had never conducted a systemwide study of the campus climate for all members of the University community. In 2011, the University of California President’s Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture, and Inclusion, which had reviewed analyses of nearly 50 different assessment tools conducted previously by the University, recommended a number of best practices in campus climate assessments. These best practices included:

• The University should conduct a full study of its entire community, not just a sample of it
• The study should include all constituent groups
• The study should be administered by an external agency or consultant
• The University should develop action plans to address climate issues

In 2012, then-UC President Mark G. Yudof commissioned a systemwide campus climate study and the UC Office of the President subsequently contracted with Rankin & Associates Consulting to collaborate with the 10 UC campuses and three UC locations (the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the UC Office of the President) on a climate study of all its constituents. From the beginning of the project, University leadership reiterated that the findings from the study should drive action and "not just sit on a shelf," and that it was crucial for each campus and location to identify specific and measurable actions to improve the climate experienced by its community members.