From November 19th to 23rd, 2009, the student group HamPoll conducted an online survey of student opinions about bias incidents on campus, sex education, and issues related to campus climate and values. We present results for the questions related to campus climate in this report.
The survey was submitted to all students by email, and received 422 responses, or about a 25% response rate. The demographics of the survey sample are relatively close to the demographics of the Hamilton student body, as indicated in the chart below:
Thus, the sample underrepresented male students, varsity athletes, and Mid-Atlantic residents, while over-representing white students and female students. Residents from other geographic areas were appropriately represented, and responses were almost evenly split by class year.
I. Feelings on Hamilton as a Welcoming Environment
We asked students about their opinions on whether Hamilton was a environment that was welcoming to them personally and to various social groups. The results, presented below, suggest students viewed students of color, low-income students, and gay or lesbian students as less welcome on campus than others.
II. Views on Shared Values
We asked students about a list of values that might be seen as widely shared at Hamilton. Students were asked about both how widespread they thought those values were among members of the Hamilton community, and to what extent they personally agreed with those values. The results suggest that in most cases students perceived the listed values as less widespread than they actually were among the sample—implying that students underestimated those values' actual prevalence. The notable exception was views on underage drinking, which were assumed to be more universally held than they were by this sample.
The questions:
Members of the Hamilton community have different opinions about which values are widely shared by the community. Please indicate which of the following values you believe are widely agreed upon at Hamilton, regardless of whether or not you personally agree with those values.
and
Do you personally agree or disagree with the following values?
The values we asked about were as follows:
• Drinking alcohol before the age of 21 is acceptable
• Work should always come first, even if it means less spare time
• Having an open curriculum is a better choice than stricter distribution requirements
• Physical education is an important component of the academic program
• Violating the Honor Code is never justified
• Hamilton should attempt to minimize its impact on the environment
• Professors and student groups should be free to bring controversial speakers to campus
• Ethnic diversity enriches the intellectual life of the College
• Students should govern themselves to the greatest extent feasible
• It is important for students to contribute to the local community
III. Views on Shared Experiences
Hamilton students were close to evenly divided on the question of whether Hamilton offered too few or enough shared experiences, although less than 1% of the sample thought there were too many such events.
The question: Some people think Hamilton offers too few experiences that are shared by the whole community, while others say Hamilton students are bonded by experiences like orientation, Class and Charter Day, and FebFest. Which comes closer to your view?
