Final Report | June 2013
Introduction
The UA Little Rock Institute of Government Survey Research Center (SRC) conducted a survey at the request of the UA Little Rock Diversity Council. The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding of the faculty, staff and students’ perceptions of diversity and diversity-related experiences at UA Little Rock. The results of this survey will have significance for the University’s future in terms of recruitment, retention, curriculum and campus life.
Methodology
Three target populations were included in the study: current full-time faculty (Faculty), current full-time non-faculty employees (Staff) and students enrolled in the spring 2013 semester. The Office of the Provost provided the databases used in the study. After updating and cleaning the data, the population database consisted of 494 eligible faculty members, 1,046 staff members and 12,295 students.
The Faculty survey was conducted between October 3, 2012 and October 27, 2012. The survey consisted of a self-administered web survey. An additional two follow-up email reminders were sent to the non-responder faculty members over the month of October. A total of 230 faculty interviews were completed for an overall response rate of 47 percent.
The Staff survey was conducted between December 3, 2012 and February 20, 2013 and used a multi-mode approach. The survey consisted of a self-administered web survey with an incentive. The incentive was entry into a drawing for a $75 gift card. Invitations to participate were emailed to employees. An additional two follow-up email reminders were sent to the non-participating employees over the month of December and January. A total of 415 staff members completed the survey via the web. For those employees that did not participate in the web survey, a paper questionnaire was mailed via Inter-Campus Mail to all non-respondents. An additional 150 staff members completed the paper questionnaire for a total of 565 completed interviews which represents an overall response rate of 54 percent.
The Student survey was conducted between April 19, 2013 and May 6, 2013. The survey consisted of a self-administered web survey with an incentive. The incentive was entry into a drawing for one of four $100 gift cards. An additional two follow-up email reminders were sent to the non-responder students. A total of 3,514 students completed the survey via the web representing an overall response rate of 29 percent.
Data Analysis
Descriptive data analysis is presented in tabular form and includes percent frequency distributions for each question. All data analysis was conducted using SPSS. Counts and percentage frequencies are presented for the sample as a whole.
Major findings
- A majority of students believe that age, ethnicity, race, disability and gender should be included as UA Little Rock addresses issues of diversity. The majority of staff agree but also believe faith, religion or belief, and sexual orientation should be included. The majority of faculty believe that all of the above should be included along with gender identity and language.
- One in 10 Faculty and Staff members report being somewhat or very uncomfortable in discussing issues of diversity in their department.
- Sixty-two percent (62%) of Students are very comfortable discussing issues of diversity in class while only 18% of Faculty perceive their students as being very comfortable discussing issues of diversity in class.
- When asked about their comfort level in working with a colleague/co-worker, very low percentages of the Faculty and Staff members report a level of discomfort when working with a disabled, gay or different race co-worker. However, 16%-19% of Faculty and Staff members report being somewhat or very uncomfortable working with a co-worker who is transgender. Similarly, Students report high levels of comfort interacting with a disabled, gay, or different race student, while 23% feel uncomfortable interacting with a student that is transgender.
- Approximately 25% of both Faculty and Staff members report experiencing unfair treatment at UA Little Rock.
- Of the Faculty who report having experienced unfair treatment, 51% cites unfair treatment based upon Gender. Of the Staff who report unfair treatment, 56% indicate it was due to Race.
- A total of 20% of Students indicate that they have personally witnessed unfair treatment at UA Little Rock. Fifteen percent of Students report that they have personally experienced unfair treatment at UA Little Rock based on race, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion or socioeconomic status.
- A majority of Students who reported experiencing unfair treatment indicate it was due to Race.
- Approximately 20% of all respondents, including Faculty, Staff and Students, cite being very confident” that reported issues of discrimination would be resolved.
- A majority of all three groups are uncertain as to whether UA Little Rock adequately addresses incidents of discrimination based upon Race, Gender, and Sexual orientation.
- Nearly one in five Students indicate that they “do not know” where to go to report unfair treatment at UA Little Rock.
- Faculty and Staff members are divided in their views on whether UA Little Rock’s recruitment efforts reflect a commitment to achieving a diverse Faculty.
- Nearly 75% of Students cite that the recruitment efforts at UA Little Rock reflect a commitment to achieving and maintaining a diverse Student Body.
- Regarding opposite-sex domestic partner employee benefits, 68% of the Faculty and 54% of the Staff are in favor of this policy.
- Regarding same-sex domestic partner employee benefits, 76% of the Faculty and 55% of the Staff are in favor of this policy.
- While considerable efforts were made to obtain information from all UA Little Rock faculty, staff and students, those that did not participate in the survey introduce a non-response bias to the results. The extent of the effect of this bias on the results is not fully known, and the reader should be aware of its existence when interpreting the results in this report. Also, there may be a need to find alternate future methods to obtain data and narratives from the populations.
UA Little Rock Campus Diversity Survey Data Tables
F/S = Question presented in Faculty and Staff questionnaires
ST = Question presented in Student questionnaire
Q1 In your opinion, what identity groups should be included when UA Little Rock addresses issues of diversity?
| (MULTIPLE RESPONSES) | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 84% | 82% | 73% |
| Disability | 84% | 70% | 53% |
| Gender | 83% | 76% | 61% |
| Race | 91% | 82% | 66% |
| Ethnicity and culture | 87% | 81% | 71% |
| Faith, religion, or belief | 63% | 54% | 48% |
| Sexual orientation | 73% | 53% | 42% |
| Gender identity | 63% | 44% | 33% |
| Language | 51% | 43% | 45% |
| Health status | 36% | 24% | 22% |
| Marital status | 31% | 28% | 28% |
| Other [Please specify]: | 12% | 5% | 5% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 230 | 565 | 3514 |
Q2
F/S – What is your level of comfort with discussing issues of diversity in your department?
ST – What is your level of comfort with discussing issues of diversity in class?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very comfortable | 65% | 55% | 62% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 23% | 32% | 31% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 10% | 11% | 5% |
| Very uncomfortable | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 227 | 560 | 3369 |
Q3
F/S – What is your comfort level working with a colleague/coworker or supervisor that is transgender?
ST – What is your comfort level interacting with a student that is transgender?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very comfortable | 60% | 50% | 45% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 24% | 31% | 32% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 13% | 13% | 16% |
| Very uncomfortable | 3% | 6% | 7% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 225 | 555 | 3359 |
Q4
F/S – What is your comfort level working with a colleague/coworker or supervisor that is disabled?
ST – What is your comfort level interacting with a student that is disabled?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very comfortable | 85% | 81% | 72% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 13% | 17% | 24% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 1% | 1% | 4% |
| Very uncomfortable | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 229 | 561 | 3362 |
Q5
F/S – What is your comfort level working with a colleague/coworker or supervisor that is gay or lesbian?
ST – What is your comfort level with a student that is gay or lesbian?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very comfortable | 87% | 78% | 70% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 8% | 17% | 20% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 3% | 4% | 7% |
| Very uncomfortable | 1% | 1% | 3% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 229 | 558 | 3350 |
Q6
F/S – What is your comfort level with a colleague/coworker or supervisor that is of a different race?
ST – What is your comfort level interacting with a student that is of a different race?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very comfortable | 94% | 92% | 87% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 6% | 7% | 11% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Very uncomfortable | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 229 | 562 | 3356 |
Q7
F/S – What is your comfort level working with a colleague/coworker or supervisor that is of a different ethnicity or culture?
ST – What is your comfort level interacting with a student that is of a different ethnicity or culture?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very comfortable | 93% | 87% | 80% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 7% | 12% | 18% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 0% | 1% | 2% |
| Very uncomfortable | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 228 | 562 | 3364 |
Q8
F – In general, how would you describe your students’ level of comfort in discussing issues of diversity in class?
| Answer | FACULTY |
|---|---|
| Very comfortable | 18% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 47% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 29% |
| Very uncomfortable | 6% |
| Total | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 211 |
Q9
Have you personally witnessed any unfair treatment at UA Little Rock based upon race, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion or socioeconomic status?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 35% | 34% | 20% |
| No | 65% | 66% | 80% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 229 | 559 | 3345 |
Q10
Have you personally experienced any unfair treatment at UA Little Rock based upon race, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion or socioeconomic status?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 26% | 25% | 15% |
| No | 74% | 75% | 85% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 229 | 558 | 3345 |
Q11
Were you treated unfairly at UA Little Rock due to…
| (MULTIPLE RESPONSES) | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Race | 39% | 56% | 51% |
| Disability | 5% | 8% | 12% |
| Age | 12% | 30% | 21% |
| Gender | 51% | 36% | 27% |
| Sexual Orientation | 9% | 12% | 9% |
| Religion | 18% | 7% | 16% |
| Socioeconomic Status | 4% | 13% | 14% |
| Gender Identity | – | – | 3% |
| Other: | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 60 | 140 | 511 |
Q12F
If you or someone you knew were treated unfairly at UA Little Rock due to discrimination, where would you go or who would you speak with to report unfair treatment?
| Answer | FACULTY | FACULTY |
|---|---|---|
| Supervisor/Department Chair | 90 | 38% |
| Dean | 55 | 23% |
| Human Resources | 31 | 13% |
| Don’t Know | 22 | 9% |
| Administration/Chancellor | 10 | 4% |
| Other Units | 7 | 3% |
| Wouldn’t Report | 3 | 1% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 237 |
Q12S
If you or someone you knew were treated unfairly at UA Little Rock due to discrimination, where would you go or who would you speak with to report the unfair treatment?
| Answer | STAFF | STAFF |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources | 151 | 27% |
| Supervisor/Department Chair | 122 | 22% |
| Dean | 46 | 8% |
| Don’t know | 24 | 4% |
| Administration/Chancellor | 12 | 2% |
| Other Units | 6 | 1% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 565 |
Q12ST
If you or someone you knew were treated unfairly at UA Little Rock due to discrimination, where would you go or who would you speak with to report the unfair treatment?
| Answer | STUDENTS | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|
| Don’t Know | 642 | 18% |
| Dean | 473 | 13% |
| Professor/Faculty | 454 | 13% |
| Dean of Students | 398 | 11% |
| Supervisor/Department Chair | 289 | 8% |
| Advisor/Counselor | 259 | 7% |
| Administration/Chancellor | 175 | 5% |
| Named a particular person | 98 | 3% |
| Other Units | 102 | 3% |
| Wouldn’t Report | 98 | 3% |
| Police | 76 | 2% |
| Human Resources | 49 | 1% |
| The individual | 35 | 1% |
| Family and Friends | 21 | 1% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 3540 |
Q13
If you reported unfair treatment due to discrimination, how confident would you be that the situation would be resolved?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very confident | 22% | 21% | 21% |
| Somewhat confident | 49% | 45% | 49% |
| Not very confident | 20% | 26% | 23% |
| Not confident at all | 9% | 8% | 7% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 224 | 539 | 3308 |
Q14
Based on your experiences, do you think that UA Little Rock adequately addresses incidents of discrimination based on race?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 37% | 38% | 38% |
| No | 12% | 14% | 11% |
| Uncertain | 51% | 48% | 52% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 226 | 552 | 3309 |
Q15
Based on your experiences, do you think that UA Little Rock adequately addresses incidents of discrimination based on disability?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 49% | 48% | 51% |
| No | 8% | 9% | 8% |
| Uncertain | 42% | 42% | 41% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 227 | 551 | 3291 |
Q16
Based on your experiences, do you think that UA Little Rock adequately addresses incidents of discrimination based on gender?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 34% | 35% | 40% |
| No | 12% | 14% | 10% |
| Uncertain | 54% | 51% | 50% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 228 | 552 | 3300 |
Q17
Based on your experiences, do you think that UA Little Rock adequately addresses incidents of discrimination based on sexual orientation?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 23% | 27% | 31% |
| No | 11% | 13% | 10% |
| Uncertain | 65% | 59% | 60% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 227 | 550 | 3281 |
Q17a
Based on your experiences, do you think that UA Little Rock adequately addresses incidents of discrimination based on gender identity?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | – | – | 26% |
| No | – | – | 10% |
| Uncertain | – | – | 64% |
| Total | – | – | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | – | – | 3302 |
Q18
Do you think that recruitment efforts at UA Little Rock reflect a commitment to achieving and maintaining a diverse faculty?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 55% | 53% | 63% |
| No | 24% | 20% | 13% |
| Uncertain | 21% | 27% | 24% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 229 | 553 | 3292 |
Q19
Do you think that recruitment efforts at UA Little Rock reflect a commitment to achieving and maintaining a diverse student body?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 65% | 64% | 73% |
| No | 11% | 10% | 8% |
| Uncertain | 23% | 26% | 19% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 228 | 553 | 3288 |
Q20
Do you favor or oppose a University of Arkansas system policy that would provide the same employee benefits to opposite-sex domestic partners of employees as it offers to spouses of employees?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF |
|---|---|---|
| Favor | 68% | 54% |
| Neutral – neither favor or oppose | 19% | 27% |
| Oppose | 13% | 19% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 228 | 549 |
Q21
Do you favor or oppose a University of Arkansas system policy that would provide the same employee benefits to same-sex domestic partners of employees as it offers to spouses of employees?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF |
|---|---|---|
| Favor | 76% | 55% |
| Neutral – neither favor or oppose | 15% | 28% |
| Oppose | 9% | 17% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 226 | 549 |
And to make sure that we have heard from a wide range of people, we have a final few questions about yourself…
Q22
How many years have you worked at UA Little Rock?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year or less | 16% | 13% |
| 2 to 5 years | 24% | 33% |
| 6 to 10 years | 21% | 24% |
| 11 to 15 years | 14% | 12% |
| 15 or more years | 26% | 17% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 227 | 545 |
Q23
What is your gender?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 52% | 34% | 35% |
| Female | 47% | 66% | 65% |
| Transgender | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 226 | 548 | 3292 |
Q24
What is your race? [Select all that apply]
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79% | 67% | 60% |
| Black/African American | 8% | 27% | 23% |
| Hispanic | 6% | 2% | 4% |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Asian | 8% | 3% | 6% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Multi-race | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Other: [Please Specify] | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 224 | 542 | 3514 |
Q25
What is your sexual orientation?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heterosexual | 90% | 92% | 91% |
| Gay/Lesbian | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Bisexual | 5% | 2% | 3% |
| Other: [Please Specify] | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 221 | 543 | 3262 |
Q26
What is your religion or religious affiliation?
| Answer | FACULTY | STAFF | STUDENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | 52% | 74% | 67% |
| Jewish | 6% | 1% | 0% |
| Muslim | 3% | 0% | 3% |
| Spiritual/Non-religious | 10% | 11% | 10% |
| Agnostic | 17% | 6% | 6% |
| Atheist | 7% | 4% | 6% |
| Buddhist/Hindu | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| Other: [Please Specify] | 5% | 3% | 7% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| TOTAL COUNT | 218 | 542 | 3274 |
UA Little Rock Campus Diversity Survey
Cindy Bennett
David Thiedig
Survey Research Center | UA Little Rock Institute of Government
This project was made possible by a Disability Resource Center grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education; by generous in-kind contributions by the IOG Survey Research Center; and with the support of the UA Little Rock Diversity Council.