In 2015, the American Association of Universities (AAU) and member institutions designed and implemented the first Campus Climate Survey. This survey aimed to assess the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual misconduct in American universities, as well as how the campus climate may be related to or contribute to misconduct. One of AAU’s goals in designing this survey was to provide academic institutions with the information they need to create or modify policies that address the problem of sexual misconduct on campus. The survey was implemented again in 2019.
The Campus Climate Survey is considered the largest survey of its kind, with over 150,000 students from 27 colleges and universities completing the 2015 survey, and over 180,000 students from 33 colleges and universities completing the 2019 survey. It includes a mix of undergraduate and graduate and professional school respondents, as well as respondents from both public and private institutions.
