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Contact DEI
For questions, comments or more information contact the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee at umsdeisteeringcommittee@maine.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Campus Climate Survey
The University of Maine System (UMS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Steering Committee is partnered with the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) to administer the Diversity and Equity Climate Survey for current students, faculty, and staff. HEDS is an organization of colleges and universities committed to sharing data, knowledge, and expertise to advance undergraduate liberal arts education, inclusive excellence, and student success.
The results of the climate survey will assist the Task Force to fulfill its charge to make recommendations for initiatives that will be ongoing for the purpose of effecting permanent cultural change on matters of diversity, equity and inclusion.
About: 2020 Campus Climate Survey
- The University of Maine System (System) has administered a comprehensive campus climate survey through a partnership with the Higher Education Date Sharing Consortium (HEDS) to administer the Diversity and Equity Climate Survey
- The HEDS Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey asked current The University of Maine System students, faculty, staff, and administrators about their perceptions of the System’s climate, perceptions of how the System supports diversity and equity, and their experiences with discrimination and harassment at the System. Campus specific questions were also added.
- It was open to the entire System community. Students, faculty, and staff were encouraged to participate in the survey and provide their perspectives.
- The survey is an anonymous tool to assist the college community in gathering information that can be utilized to help achieve a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse University of Maine System.
Climate Survey Participation:
Find below the participation data for University of Maine System overall as of March 31st, 2022. Click here to view full participation data by campus.
University of Maine System (UMS) Overall Participation
| Group | Participation Totals | Out Of | Percent (%) Participation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 4,375 | 31,096 | 14.07% |
| Undergraduate Students (1) | 2,038 | 20,628 | 9.88% |
| Graduate Students (2) | 642 | 4,652 | 13.80% |
| Faculty (3) | 536 | 2,623 | 20.43% |
| Staff/Administrators (4) | 888/113 | 3,193 | 31.35% |
| Other/Prefer Not to Respond | 49/109 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Contact Information:
For questions, comments or more information about the Campus Climate Survey contact the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee at umsdeisteeringcommittee@maine.edu.
Focus Groups:
Our commitment in this work is to maximize our understanding of DEI at UMS by really listening. Even with the best intent, programs and strategies can be off target when/if they aren’t fully informed by the current situation and desired outcomes.
Starting with the April 2021 UMS Transforms listening event that engaged ~400 UMS employees to hear perspectives on the progress of DEI at UMS, we are committed to an institution-wide comprehensive listening approach. Our March 2022 HEDS Survey included both quantitative and qualitative questions.
Our plan is to use the combination of DEI perspectives data that we’ve collected to clarify patterns in the feedback; then to conduct deeper-dive focus groups focused on the patterns of information revealed. The focus groups occurred across all of our Universities and the Law School. As of April 2024, data from these focus groups is being compiled and prepared for distribution by campus.