Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey opens next week

Dear Stanford community member,

During the week of May 10, you will receive an invitation to take part in the first-ever university-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey. Part of the IDEAL initiative, the survey focuses on the individual experiences of community members at Stanford. Faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, students in the professional programs, postdoctoral scholars, staff and academic staff will be invited to participate.

The survey will be open for three weeks. It is important that as many Stanford community members as possible take the survey.

During the development stage of the survey, many of you contributed feedback. We are very grateful for your input, which has helped shape the survey instrument. A summary of your feedback and suggestions as well as more information about the survey can be found on the survey website.

Since I stepped into the role of provost, and especially over the past year, I have heard from so many of you about the ways in which Stanford has not lived up to our ideals of what an inclusive and equitable educational institution should be.

Why is this particular survey so important? Our intention with this survey is to provide an avenue for all community members to share their own experiences at Stanford. The survey will help us to include your voices in how we address our problems and where we put our resources – on both university-wide and local levels. Your responses will inform the actions we take to reach our goal of a truly inclusive university.

This survey is for everyone in the Stanford community. Even if you don’t have direct experience with some of the issues it covers, we strongly encourage you to take the survey. Some of the questions cover difficult issues, and we understand that taking the survey may remind you of experiences that you or someone close to you has gone through. Throughout the survey period, there will be links to resources available to offer support should you need it during or after the survey.

We understand how critical transparency will be in sharing the results from a survey like this. In fall 2021, we will share a comprehensive report on the survey findings with the Stanford community. All Stanford community members will have the opportunity to view the report on survey findings, as well as extensive charts and tables summarizing the data.

A survey of this scale, reaching the broad spectrum of the campus community, is unprecedented at Stanford, and I hope all of you will participate.

The university is deeply committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable environment for all its members. Hearing from each of you about your own experience at Stanford is an important step in our continuing efforts. Your input is invaluable. Thank you for taking the time to participate in the survey.

Sincerely,

Persis Drell