Sexual Misconduct Campus Climate Survey

In the fall of 2016, the Office of Equity (OE) launched the first Sexual Misconduct Campus Climate Survey for the CU Denver and CU Anschutz campuses. This confidential survey sought to help us better understand the extent and effects sexual misconduct has in our community.

The survey, the first of its kind for our community, was sent to more than 30,000 students, faculty and staff. The overall response rate was 16%, representing 1,179 undergraduates, 1,296 graduate students, and 2,616 faculty/staff/affiliates.

Survey findings indicate that 14.9% of students and 9.6% of faculty/staff/affiliates who responded experienced at least one of the five types of sexual misconduct researched (sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking), either on/off campus, since joining CU Denver | CU Anschutz. Findings show that 6.8% of all students and 1.6% of faculty/staff/affiliates experienced sexual assault on/off campus since joining the university. These rates are consistent with or lower than national rates of sexual misconduct and sexual assault, although direct comparisons are difficult due to differences in survey questions, populations, and definitions used. For instance, CU Denver | CU Anschutz is one of very few universities to include faculty and staff in its survey. While our estimates are consistent with or lower than others, we recognize that any amount of sexual misconduct is too much, and as a university, we are strongly dedicated to ending it.

Results also indicate that 40% of all students (36% of graduate students, and 43% of undergraduate students) report understanding the University’s formal procedure for reporting sexual misconduct. 50% of CU Anschutz faculty/staff/affiliates, and 70% of CU Denver faculty/staff/affiliates reported understanding the University’s formal procedure for reporting sexual misconduct.

Review a presentation of the Campus Climate Survey results and additional findings.

Read the communique sent out by our chancellors about the Campus Climate Survey results.