Washington University in St. Louis is joining a group of top national universities to commission
and participate in a campus sexual misconduct and awareness survey. All degree-seeking
WashU students — undergraduate, graduate and professional — are encouraged to participate. The survey opens March 4 and will be available online until April 6.
The Higher Education Sexual Misconduct and Awareness (HESMA) survey will be administered by the social science research firm Westat. It will build upon 2019 findings from the Association of American Universities (AAU) Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct, which also was coordinated by Westat. While no longer administered by the AAU, the current survey’s purpose remains the same: to fully understand and better address issues related to sexual misconduct and awareness on college campuses.
The HESMA survey will provide participating schools, including WashU, with fresh data and insights that can better inform evidence-based policies, support services and interventions pertaining to sexual misconduct or assault on campus.
Once complete and compiled, Westat will produce a full report of the survey’s overall findings. WashU will share its report with the campus community in early October. WashU students participated in similar climate surveys in 2015 and 2019; learn more about those findings. All eligible WashU students will receive email invitations to take the survey; some who complete it will be eligible for a $15 gift card or charity donation. Read more information about the HESMA survey here.
