Announcing the Pathways Campus Climate Survey

September 27, 2016

Dear Students, Staff and Faculty,

At Smith, we seek to create an environment characterized by openness, fairness, and equal access for all students, staff, and faculty. A welcoming and inclusive campus climate is grounded in mutual respect, nurtured by dialogue, and evidenced by a pattern of civil interaction. Creating and maintaining a community environment that respects individual needs, abilities, and potential is critically important for our mission.

Since October 2015, a Climate Study Working Group consisting of students, staff, and faculty has invited members of the Smith community to participate in focus groups to assess the current attitudes, behaviors, standards and practices of the Smith community—the campus climate. Working from this baseline, the group developed a survey to assess the campus climate at Smith, secured institutional review of the survey, and created a marketing plan to ensure maximum participation. I am grateful to Dwight Hamilton and the members of the working group for their thoughtful leadership of this important effort.

Today I am pleased to announce the launch of the Pathways Campus Climate Survey. Pathways is an assessment of learning, living and working at Smith College. The goals of the project are multifold: 1) identify successful initiatives, 2) uncover any challenges facing members of our community, and 3) develop strategic initiatives to build on the successes and address the challenges.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to help us understand the current climate at Smith. The survey is designed to provide information about both positive and challenging aspects of our climate. It will provide all members of our community with the opportunity to describe your personal experiences and observations, as well as to offer suggestions for changes that might enhance the campus climate at Smith.

Be assured: All of your answers will remain confidential and the results will be reported in group form only. You will not be identifiable as an individual. Your participation in this project is voluntary. This research has been reviewed and approved by the Smith College Institutional Review Board. Additional information about the project is available at www.smith.edu/pathways.

I urge you to take the 20–30 minutes needed to respond to the survey.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this vital project.

Sincerely,

Kathleen McCartney
President