# 2019 Executive Summary ### [Read the full 2024 Executive Summary](/file_url/161) ### 2024 Key Findings The Pulse Survey on Inclusion & Belonging was administered in the fall of 2024. It’s an important part of Harvard’s continuing efforts to set data as the foundation of our inclusion and belonging work. The survey is designed to take a high-level “pulse” (not an MRI!) of the entire campus community. The survey results are intended to inform further data collection and other activities among Harvard’s schools, units, and groups tailored to their communities. It is also available to help identify and inform responses to potential areas of improvement. All members of the Harvard campus community were invited to take part, and approximately 20% submitted a response. The survey included a thorough demographic questionnaire and prompts that examined four dimensions of inclusion and belonging: - Sense of value; - Acceptance and integration; - Connection across difference; and - Supportive assets. ### A few of the survey’s high-level findings include: Most members of the Harvard community report positive experiences of inclusion and belonging campus-wide and across roles. The two areas with the highest levels of positive responses: 1. Large majorities of respondents strongly agree, agree, or somewhat agree with the statement, “I feel like I belong at Harvard” including 78% of students, 81% of staff, and 75% of faculty and academic personnel. 2. Respondents also generally report feeling respected, including 80% of students, 79% of staff, and 74% of faculty/academic. ### Two primary areas for potential improvement: 1. The portion of respondents who report feeling comfortable sharing their opinions with others was 68% of students, 68% of staff, and 62% of faculty/academic. 2. The portion of respondents who report having formed relationships with people holding different views was 66% of students, 59% of staff, and 59% of faculty/academic. On specific aspects of inclusion and belonging, there is wide variation between the campus-wide response and responses from subsets of community members. This is evident in some cases when comparing the responses between roles, and in other cases when comparing responses among certain identity groups. Such gaps warrant further study and represent opportunities to realize a greater experience of inclusion and belonging among members of the University community. ### [Access the full 2024 final report, including detailed data tables and methodological notes.](/file_url/160) ## Data Charts [ ![Pulse Survey Chart Item 2](/sites/g/files/omnuum11821/files/pulse/files/pulse_survey_chart_page_1.png) ](/file_url/136) [ ![Pulse Survey Chart Item 2](/sites/g/files/omnuum11821/files/pulse/files/pulse_survey_chart_page_2.png) ](/file_url/136) ### **Response** The results show that respondents, across all three roles, report rates of inclusion and belonging in the positive range across most categories. However, that picture changes markedly when one looks more closely at specific demographic groups within the Harvard community. While most responded positively across all items, those from historically underrepresented and disadvantaged groups reported less positive views and higher levels of disagreement with the prompts. The Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (ODIB) has identified a series of immediate next steps/actions; with some already underway. ODIB believes that it will be important to take the necessary time and care to formulate a detailed action plan in response to these survey results. For many of the problems that surfaced in the survey, the solutions will be complex, multilayered, and interdependent. However, the University community is committed to action, and given some of the results documented in this report, we all should have an urgency to act. We must also recognize the shared responsibility of this work. ODIB believes that this survey should serve as a call to action so we can each identify ways to create a fully inclusive community culture. The meaningful data presented here will be vital in developing and implementing concrete steps and actions in order to ensure that we bring all those that reported a lower sense of belonging up to the level of the majority. Specifically: - The robust University-wide response suggests “pulse” strategies can be an effective method to understand high-level feelings of inclusion and belonging at Harvard. An important next step will be the administration of the first official I&B Pulse survey in 2021, with surveys to follow every two years. Consistent with this pilot, the surveys will report results at the University-level. - The formation of the Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB) Leadership Council made up of School DIB leads and those in central administration working to advance DIB across the University. The goal of this monthly convening will be to generate actions in response to the survey, better coordinate efforts, and share promising practices for local implementation. - The hiring of a University Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. ODIB has engaged an executive search firm to identify a candidate for this [position](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__jobs.brassring.com_TGnewUI_Search_home_HomeWithPreLoad-3FPageType-3DJobDetails-26partnerid-3D25240-26siteid-3D5341-26jobid-3D1490704&d=DwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=eweSPAzFEEaKocdxoWHnVVoCZXt9YxCL7JW1e0cV3jE&m=Ap_wmaLlIsAu1ULW2FGq69l7S3W0uwEBuhCmkl3My28&s=bsdyZajHZ95pQOh6LT4ppSMZnxy0ioi777aLrJy-zN8&e=) that will: - Provide direction on a broad range of services, programs, policies, and procedures for staff, students, administrators, and faculty. - Identify and implement evidence-based strategies in response to the survey findings. - Serve as a central resource to matrix staff, organizational leaders, and stakeholders to identify and help develop constituency‐specific responses. - Regular meetings of DIB practitioners across the University to share best practices and surface challenges. - The creation of a new University-wide website (dib.harvard.edu) to serve as a central resource and learning hub for diversity, inclusion, and belonging related programs and initiatives across the University. - Utilize I&B Pulse survey findings to inform development of University-wide strategic planning for diversity, inclusion, and belonging. - Continued School/Unit strategic planning in diversity, inclusion, and belonging, grounded in and incorporating the results of this survey. Future plans will identify the specific efforts implemented to address the concerns of the groups that reported a lesser sense of inclusion and belonging through this survey - The 7,273 open text comments included important views and suggestions on how to advance inclusion and belonging at Harvard. These comments will be shared with senior leadership and factored into University and School/Unit strategic planning in diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Some high-level trends and consistent themes across the comments included: - Differing viewpoints: Specifically, the need for receptiveness of non-majority or traditionally non-accepted views, and additional efforts to address the lack of empathy around differing viewpoints. - Career: The need for clarity around career paths/professional development and additional/more consistent training for managers. - Harvard experience: Submitted comments reflected that individual experiences at Harvard are often siloed. They noted that it is difficult to understand and learn how to navigate the University outside of one’s immediate surroundings at Harvard. Comments highlighted an opportunity to establish One-Harvard programs, tools, resources, spaces, and integration. - Submitted comments included references to some high-profile matters being discussed on campus during the administration of the survey in the spring of 2019, including: - Divestment - Need for student-controlled space, multicultural center - Student unionization - This pilot yielded some significant learnings as we prepare for the administration of the next survey, specifically on the demographic questionnaire: adding a question on disability status, refining parents’ education question, as well as better describing the range of gender identities and sexual orientation. We will further refine this demographic questionnaire and encourage its use as a diversity, inclusion, and belonging best practice and model for collecting demographic data on surveys across campus. ODIB will continue to welcome feedback on the survey instrument, the demographic questionnaire, and the proposed adjustments for future I&B Pulse surveys that are described in the [full report](/file_url/138).