One of the most important responsibilities of a university is to constantly ask itself: Are we living up to our promise?
To answer that question, we need data, but we also need truth. Today, I am sharing the results of our 2025 Campus Climate Survey which was distributed to students and faculty last spring. This report serves as a descriptive baseline — a mirror held up to our current community.
I want to express my deep gratitude to Interim Vice President of Global Diversity and Inclusion Julie Caron and Iris De Lis, Assistant Director of Academic Testing Services and a doctoral student in Sociology, for their tenacious work in compiling these findings.
The Campus Climate Survey uncovers some of our community strengths and also highlights some weaknesses that we must come together to address.
Let’s look first at the findings for students. Invitations were sent to nearly 16,000 students, and 1,839 (11.6%) shared their voices. The headlines here are encouraging: 73% of responding students agreed they feel welcome on campus.
Crucially, most students feel they can express their religious, spiritual, and political views — and that sense of safety is even stronger regarding gender identity and sexual orientation. This speaks to the inclusive culture we have built together.
However, the data also reveal complexities we must address. While students feel supported by individuals on campus, they expressed skepticism about the institution and its leadership. They also reported feeling safer expressing who they are than what they believe.
In addition, the sense of belonging among students hovers at around a 60% average — not exactly full-throated confidence. There are also some belonging gaps that warrant our attention: While LGBTQIA+ students and students of color report a slightly higher than 60% rate of belonging, that rate is lower than 60% for our disabled and military-affiliated students. We must ensure that belonging at PSU is a reality for every student.
In the employee survey (1,435 respondents) revealed a duality that I take to heart. I was incredibly moved to see that despite our challenges, 64.2% of our PSU staff and faculty agreed with the statement "I love my job," and 66.8% feel a sense of belonging. This confirms what I see every day: a workforce deeply dedicated to our noble mission.
But we must face the gaps. The perception of inclusivity diverges sharply by identity: 72.3% of white administrators view the campus as inclusive, compared to just 51.4% of administrators of color. A similar gap exists among faculty.
The survey also highlighted a scarcity of trust in the institution’s direction, along with significant concerns about workload — especially among diverse and disabled colleagues. These are not just data points; they are the lived experiences of our colleagues, and they require our urgent attention.
Full reports on for both Student and Employee results along with the complete data sets are available online and I encourage everyone to take a look.
I am galvanized by these responses. They offer us clarity on where we need to dig deep.
We are navigating a period of profound institutional change. I know this change is difficult, and I know it can strain trust. But we are undertaking this work in service of a singular goal: creating a sustainable, vibrant future for PSU.
This report is not the end of the conversation; it is the beginning of the work. We are currently recruiting for a Chief Diversity Officer who will champion these next steps — not by issuing mandates from above, but by convening students, faculty, and staff to interpret this data and co-create our path forward. We will also work to plan an opportunity for campus conversations about these results in the near term. Building a campus where everyone belongs is not the job of one person. It requires the commitment of all of us. Thank you for engaging in this vital work with me.