Please note: This is a Sole Source Notification. Specifications include, but are not limited to: The University of Utah, as a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), was encouraged to assess student perceptions and experiences around sexual assault and misconduct. Between 2016-2022, the University of Utah planned and implemented an internal survey and analysis process to assess student sexual assault and misconduct, that was primarily replicating a survey developed and conducted by AAU. In 2023, AAU announced their intention to move away from guiding institutions in the development of campus climate surveys, with future requirements expected to be mandated by the federal government for institutions of higher education. Consequently, this AAU decision created opportunities for the University of Utah to look into contracting with outside resources and vendors that provide coordinated campus climate assessments on sexual assault/misconduct. The vendor Rankin Climate was identified as a highly-vetted option to execute a campus sexual misconduct survey that other AAU institutions are currently utilizing. Based on the changes to AAU requirements, the University of Utah is searching for a campus climate survey and coordinated assessment process that is heavily vetted and will be sustainable through other major changes to AAU or federal Title IX policies. As the University of Utah decides a long-term option for collecting and analyzing student perceptions and experiences with campus climate (sexual assault/misconduct), a trial period of utilizing the Rankin Climate survey coordination is warranted to: 1) identifying if the survey and analysis process meet our needs for institutional reporting; 2) vetting whether the survey and analysis process can adapt to future compliance with state and federal Title IX requirements that are on the horizon; and 3) exploring how the survey and analysis process can maximize opportunities to benchmark with peer institutions and best practices.
