Jan. 17, 2023: Know More Campus Survey results

Dear Spartan community,

I write today to share with you the results of the 2022 Know More Survey.

Last spring, more than 11,500 of our students, faculty and staff participated in an online campus climate survey designed to assess the culture, perceptions and policies associated with Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct (RVSM) at Michigan State University. This was the second iteration of the survey, which was first introduced in 2019.

Briefly, the 2022 Know More Survey results indicate there are lower rates of sexual harassment, sexual assault, workplace incivility and/or other harm experienced by the campus community relative to 2019. The results also tell us that more people have participated in training, are more aware of some of the resources available to them and found those resources to be helpful. This is good news.

The data also tells us there are areas that require ongoing work and diligence. For the 2022 survey, data was collected to be more inclusive of our transgender and nonbinary community members. The results indicate that this group experiences victimization at significantly higher rates than cisgender members of the community.

Our RVSM special advisers, Professor Rebecca Campbell and MSU Police and Public Safety Deputy Chief Andrea Munford, are leading next steps following the survey. With the RVSM Expert Advisory Workgroup, they will identify areas of RVSM prevention and response that have been successfully implemented over the past four years. This team will also look for areas that require improvement, seek community feedback, and recommend corrective courses of action.

In the meantime, Michigan State University’s on-campus RVSM-related programs and counseling services stand ready to provide free and confidential support services to students, staff, and faculty. These critical services include MSU Safe Place; Center for Survivors; Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), which offers counseling services to students; and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers counseling services for staff and faculty.

These programs and services are always available to anyone seeking assistance; however, we understand that some groups — particularly transgender and nonbinary individuals who often experience abuse and trauma at higher rates — may not fully trust or feel safe approaching these four resource units. As such, MSU is immediately offering the following specific outreach and supportive services:

  • MSU Safe Place will be at the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC), weekly from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., effective Jan. 12, 2023. Students can stop by GSCC without an appointment during these open hours or can reach out to Lara Hayden at haydenL8@msu.edu to schedule an appointment for support services at a more convenient time.
  • Center for Survivors is collaborating with MSU Safe Place to gather information to create peer-led support groups for GSCC-connected survivors of RVSM. Individuals can receive information and/or support by contacting the Center for Survivors by:
    • Email at general@msu.edu.
    • Onsite walk-in visit from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. located on the 2nd floor of the Student Services Building.
    • Phone at (517) 355-3551 during business hours.
    • 24/7 MSU Sexual Assault Hotline at (517) 372-6666.
    • Crisis chat at https://centerforsurvivors.msu.edu/ seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • CAPS has a dedicated counselor available weekly at the GSCC for students seeking any type of support. Ginny Blakely will be available at the GSCC for CAPS Connect on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon beginning Jan. 24, 2023. Individuals can sign up for a 20-minute in-person consultation at https://caps.msu.edu/services/CAPSConnect.html.

I hope you will take time to read through the survey report and follow our progress on MSU’s Our Commitment website. I also encourage you to attend upcoming campus meetings about the survey, which will be announced soon and will be led by MSU’s RVSM experts. If you have immediate questions, please email presmail@msu.edu.

Over the last several months, I met with community members across our campus. Time and again, I have seen your strength and commitment to making Michigan State University, not only a world-class institution of higher education, research and outreach, but a place where everyone can feel safe, respected and welcomed. I want to particularly thank all Spartans for working together to foster an environment that is more respectful to each other and is supportive of survivors. Being able to change oneself to enable the best for all is the true meaning of an institution of higher learning.

Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Interim President
MSU Foundation Professor