Chico Speaks Survey Final Results

Dear Chico State Community,

In April 2018, more than 4,000 students participated in a Chico State climate survey called Chico Speaks. We were part of a larger group of universities across the United States and Canada all taking a similar survey that spring. Chico Speaks surveyed students’ experiences with sexual and other forms of interpersonal violence during the 2017–2018 school year. It also surveyed knowledge about resources and policies, exposure to training, and attitudes and behaviors around sexual violence.

As part of our commitment to transparency, and as a way to express our gratitude to the students who took time to participate, we are sharing out the resulting report (PDF). This effort has provided us with valuable information to help make informed decisions as we move forward and address some of these findings.

In April 2019, we released a preliminary report to the campus community in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness month. Now, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we are releasing the full report with the Chico Speaks survey results (PDF). We understand the facts and data can be distressing and may remind you of experiences you or someone you know has gone through. Support resources for those experiencing distress can be found on Title IX Resources website.

Chico State’s Title IX Oversight Committee will be developing recommendations for the campus to consider around further programming, additional resources, and systematic changes based on the information gathered. Chico State also committed to send a broad cross-section of our staff to bystander intervention training, and rollout of that program has begun. Additionally, Safe Place was provided funding to hire an additional staff person to better serve the high demand for its services that the survey confirms exists. The Safe Place office relocated to provide more space and easier access for students, and we are excited to report that a new hire will begin working before the end of this semester.

It is clear from the data that those who report experiencing sexual violence are not alone in their experiences. We thank you for and recognize the courage in sharing those experiences with us. Although no single event or survey will be enough to effect the change we would like to see, Chico State’s commitment to addressing these issues will persist. It will take all of us working together toward creating a climate where everyone is committed to the values that interpersonal violence has no place on our campus and that everyone has a role to play in its prevention.

Again, we want to thank the many students who gave their time and shared their experiences so we could gather this data, and we also thank the faculty and staff who helped ensure a successful survey was conducted and report developed. We invite everyone to be part of the conversation as to how we best move forward. We are here to listen.

Sincerely,

Sandy Parsons
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Dean of Student

Dylan Saake
Title IX Coordinator