Campus Climate Surveys
Why a survey?
The Campus Climate Survey is an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to offer an honest, confidential perspective on the Brown experience to help the University move forward on the issues that matter. The survey supports efforts to strengthen campus climate in the following ways.
- Highlights what’s working well: The Campus Climate Survey helps University leaders understand what is important to help community members thrive. This guides areas of continued investment.
- Shines a light on concerns: The Campus Climate Survey asks direct, necessary questions about experiences of harassment and discrimination, including those related to antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and transphobia, among other critical issues. Honest answers are the only way we can understand and confront these problems head-on as a community.
- Informs Brown’s path forward for diversity and inclusion: Survey feedback directly informs the creation of University plans for diversity and inclusion at Brown, allowing the community to re-commit to embracing a diversity of perspectives, ideas and experiences as part of our academic mission, while complying with the law.
The Campus Climate Survey is developed and supported by a team of colleagues from offices across the University with expertise in academic affairs, strategic assessment, data analysis, legal compliance, community engagement and diversity and inclusion.
Current Survey
Brown launched the most recent survey, the 2025-26 Campus Climate Survey, with a survey of students in Fall 2025. Originally scheduled for Spring 2026, the faculty and staff survey was deferred to Fall 2026 as the community continues its journey of recovery after the events of December 13, 2025.
Project Timeline
| Survey Type | Survey Deployed | Preliminary Findings Delivered | Full Findings Delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Survey | October 28 through November 21, 2025 | January 2026 | Spring 2027 |
| Faculty & Staff Survey | September 22 through October 16, 2026 | January 2027 (estimated) | Spring 2027 |
Faculty and Staff Survey
The 2025-26 Campus Climate Survey for faculty and staff will be open from Tuesday, September 22 through Friday, October 16, 2026. A link to the survey will be shared through direct email and other print and digital channels to encourage faculty and staff participation.
The survey is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete and can be completed on a smartphone or desktop computer.
Results of the faculty and staff survey will be shared with the community in Spring 2027.
Student Survey
The University administered the 2025-26 Campus Climate Survey to undergraduate, graduate and medical students during the Fall 2025 semester, with the survey open from October 28 through November 21, 2025. An initial report on the student survey response was shared with the community on January 27, 2026.
After the completion of a faculty and staff survey in Fall 2026, the University will release a comprehensive data analysis of both surveys from Interwoven Insights (formerly Rankin Climate LLC), in Spring 2027.
View Brown’s findings of the 2025-26 Campus Climate Student Survey (login required)
Commitment to Confidentiality
Answers to the 2025-26 Campus Climate Survey remain strictly confidential — the survey and comprehensive data analysis are being managed by a reputable external firm, Interwoven Insights (formerly Rankin Climate LLC), that will not share any identifying information with Brown, and therefore Brown cannot share it with any other entity. Conducting any survey relating to a sensitive subject like campus climate is likely to yield higher response rates and provide more credible findings if led by an independent, outside firm.
About Interwoven Insights
Interwoven Insights, formerly Rankin Climate LLC (the name used during the Fall 2025 student survey), has been working with college campuses for more than 20 years and has conducted similar campus climate surveys on more than 300 college campuses nationwide. Interwoven Insights builds assessment tools rooted in the latest academic research and current social context to give clients meaningful insight into how their audiences experience and engage with their organizations.