USU Releases Reports from 2021 Student, Employee Sexual Misconduct Surveys

Utah State University has released the results of two sexual misconduct surveys that the university will use to guide and evaluate prevention efforts. One survey was the third of its kind for students, conducted every other spring since 2017. The other was the first survey the university has conducted for employees.

“The student survey data has been useful in a variety of ways over the past several years,” said Emmalee Fishburn, senior prevention specialist in USU’s Office of Equity. “This data allows the university to understand what kinds of sexual misconduct experiences students are having, as well as what the student culture is like related to these issues.”

The new employee survey will give the university a similar understanding of issues faced by faculty and staff. “We can make more informed decisions about where and to who to target outreach and education efforts and how to allocate staff and other resources,” Fishburn said.

Data from the student survey has been used in many ways: in student and employee trainings; to create social media, video and marketing education campaigns; and to inform education for individuals reported for sexual misconduct behaviors.

Some of the key takeaways from this year’s student report include:

• 27.3% increase in the number of students agreeing that USU officials handle concerning incidents in a fair and responsible manner (88.3% in 2021 vs. 61% in 2019)
• 5.4% increase in the number of students thinking it is likely that their peers would “support others who confront harmful or problematic behavior” (82.4% in 2021 vs. 77% in 2019)
• A decrease in number and percentage of participants reporting experiences of sexual assault (penetration and touching), relationship violence and stalking, compared to the 2019 survey

This year’s student survey included new questions for individuals who have interacted with USU’s Office of Equity, as well as questions to assess how the university can better respond to sexual misconduct behaviors. The report shows that:

• 89.36% of participants think that USU takes training in sexual misconduct prevention seriously
• 74.23% of participants agreed they were comfortable reporting sexual misconduct to USU’s Title IX Coordinator
• 14.93% believe releasing an annual report with information about the number of reports and investigation outcomes would increase reporting of sexual misconduct
• When students experienced any of the forms of sexual misconduct, they most often indicated that they talked to a USU resource about their experience to receive mental/emotional support

The student survey had an overall 14% response rate for all USU statewide campuses, and the response rate for the Logan campus was 29.1%. These rates were lower than in 2019, likely because the survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic while many students were attending remotely. According to Fishburn, the report data is still valid.

“The demographics of the survey participants are close to the overall demographics of the spring 2021 student population,” she said. “So, despite the lower response rate, the survey is likely still an accurate representation of sexual misconduct experiences, and knowledge and attitudes among students.”

The employee survey had a 27% response rate statewide. In addition to questions about sexual misconduct and knowledge of university processes and resources, it included a section about general workplace incivility such as being interrupted, ignored or insulted.

About 40% of employee respondents reported experiencing workplace incivility during their time at USU. The most widely reported sexual misconduct experiences for employees were sex discrimination (14.7%) and sexual harassment (16.5%).

“We’ll use this data to train employees about strategies for noticing and preventing behaviors that fall within the workplace incivility spectrum,” Fishburn said, noting that these types of behaviors can lead to discriminatory and sexual misconduct behaviors.

The Office of Equity will also add more information about its reporting and investigation processes to employee trainings, along with information about how to support a colleague who is experiencing or has experienced sexual misconduct.

To access the full survey report, visit usu.edu/sexual-respect/survey.

USU has invested significant resources into the prevention of and response to sexual misconduct since 2016. View a timeline of university actions at usu.edu/sexual-respect/timeline and learn about university prevention strategies at usu.edu/sexual-respect/education/prevention-strategy.

For more information about confidential resources and reporting options for those who have experienced sexual misconduct, visit usu.edu/sexual-respect.