Changing Campus Culture: Benchmark Data

About the Benchmark Data

The benchmark results are a snapshot of our public two-year and four-year and private campuses. The benchmark questions, as well as the implementation of a campus climate survey, were part of ODHE’s Changing Campus Culture initiative, which launched in the fall of 2015 to support the work at all Ohio colleges and universities to end sexual violence.

The statewide benchmark questions were carefully selected to provide a common set of data across all participating Ohio campuses. Each of the report links below provides data point comparisons for each question by sector for the past two academic years. The questions asked during the 2016-2017 academic year were altered slightly from the questions asked the previous year. As a result, the data collected in the spring 2016 term cannot be compared to the data collected the last two academic years. 

While participation in the Changing Campus Culture initiative was not mandated, we are pleased to announce that more than 38,000 students from 36 public (two-year and four-year) and 34 private colleges and universities completed surveys. Ohio remains one of the few states in the nation asking campuses to collect data at this level.

The benchmark data for Ohio align with what is being reported nationally and provide a road map for developing next steps to support our campuses in changing the culture regarding sexual violence.

• Campuses Participating in the 2018-2019 Benchmark Questions 

About the Campus Climate Surveys

As part of the Changing Campus Culture report, released in October 2015, all Ohio campuses were asked to complete comprehensive campus climate surveys on sexual violence (see recommendation #1). Climate Surveys are an important tool in assisting the college/university in understanding the best way to address prevention and response efforts on campus. As a widely accepted best practice in sexual violence prevention and response, climate surveys provide insight on the true levels of perpetration among other important factors, including knowledge of campus reporting options and protocols, prevention training effectiveness, campus readiness to address sexual violence, confidence in the campus’ ability to effectively respond to reports, and more.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education asks that campuses in Ohio collect climate survey data in two-year cycles. Eighty campuses in Ohio (public and private) reported collected climate survey data on sexual violence between August 2016 and May 2018. 

Campus climate survey data belongs to each individual campus and not to ODHE.

Ohio colleges and universities reporting the collection of climate survey data between August 2016 and May 2018: