The University of Iowa Council on the Status of Women (CSW) is sending an online sexual misconduct survey to all UI undergraduate students today, Tuesday, Nov. 27.

The survey has been in the works for several years, according to CSW chair Dee Gansemer, and will provide additional insight into how the UI can create the best climate possible to serve and protect all students.

"In 2005, the Council on the Status of Women surveyed faculty, staff, and students regarding their experiences on unwelcome sexual experiences and sexual harassment," Gansemer says. "One recommendation of the 2005 survey was to re-survey undergraduate students in five years since the original survey showed that among the respondents, undergraduates least understood unwelcome sexual behavior and sexual harassment."

The CSW pursued development of the online survey with $22,000 from the UI Chief Diversity Office. The survey will be implemented Nov. 27 through Dec. 15.

Staff from the Iowa Social Science Research Center will distribute the survey electronically, monitor the response rate and undergraduate student population representation, and evaluate the overall response. The results will be shared in spring 2013.

The 42-question survey, which contains four sections, should take students no longer than 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The sections include: demographics; assessment of UI policy and practices; student experiences of unwelcome sexual behavior and sexual harassment; and student experiences of sexual assault.

The email will be sent out to all UI undergraduate students—more than 20,000 students—with the signature of UI Student Government (UISG) President Nicholas Pottebaum, who urges all students to take the time to fill out the survey.

For more information, view the Sexual Misconduct Survey Frequently Asked Questions at www.uiowa.edu/~csw/documents/November2012talkingpoints.pdf or contact Gansemer at 319-384-4456 or deanne-gansemer@uiowa.edu.

For more information on the CSW, visit www.uiowa.edu/~csw/.