Institutes of higher education (IHEs) are now required to collect survey data related to sexual harassment as a matter of compliance with the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (S. 3623). This will likely increase attention on both a national level and the individual IHE level to campus climate assessments and the role of data collection in supporting efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment.

Individuals from the Evaluation Working Group within the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education will examine practices and key considerations related to data derived from a climate assessment. In addition to reviewing relevant research articles and case studies, individuals from the Evaluation Working Group will also review campus policies and practices and both federal and state-level legislation to assess the context around these efforts. The Evaluation Working Group will focus on three distinct but interrelated areas:

• Planning what to do with the data. This section will describe the process for creating a data roadmap or “climate accountability plan” at the onset of a climate assessment project. It will highlight the importance of establishing a plan for which and how climate data will be shared with the community and/or publicly. It could also emphasize the ways in which doing so can set expectations and demonstrate a willingness to take targeted action based on the results. It may also highlight challenges related to shared governance and access to data, including practical data considerations when working with third party vendors.
• How to communicate about the data. This section will outline practices for communicating the results of a climate assessment transparently and effectively. It could describe the research behind specific communication aspects related to climate assessment (how to communicate the institution’s commitment to the issue of sexual harassment; the importance of articulating the rationale behind why and how the assessment is being administered; clear, helpful ways to present the data, etc.). It may also detail ways to leverage communication towards setting expectations for and building trust in the results of the climate assessment (providing opportunities for broader input; involving individuals with authority or relationship with particular communities, etc.).
• Ways to support leaders in taking action using the data. This section will present examples of ways an institution might support academic leaders (across various populations, schools, departments, programs, etc.) in using climate survey data. With the goal of helping leaders know what to do with the data they receive, this section will establish a framework and identify resources towards addressing and improving the climate issues identified within the unit. This could include highlighting creative ways organizations are doing this work.

Using the information gathered, individuals from the Evaluation Working Group will produce a paper that serves as a resource for higher education administrators and leadership to explore the challenges and potential resolutions around using climate data. With an improved understanding of climate data and assessments generally, IHEs can plan for, share about, and take action based on their own unique climate data in whichever way best suits their own communities.

The goal of this resource is to build upon information within the National Academies’ 2018 report on Sexual Harassment of Women by exploring the ways in which campuses consider and act upon climate data. It will also complement the Evaluation Working Group’s Guidance for Measuring Sexual Harassment Prevalence Using Campus Climate Surveys by providing more specific information related campus climate data collection and use. Furthermore, the paper will build upon the information gathered from previously published Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interventions to Prevent and Address Sexual Harassment: Proceedings of a Workshop.