New data on University of Michigan-Dearborn student, faculty and staff experiences of campus climate around identity shows that 86% of students and 82% of employees feel comfortable with the overall UM-Dearborn climate.
These findings are from the Climate Survey Related to Campus Culture and Community, administered in March 2026 by an external firm — Interwoven Insights, formerly Rankin Climate — to a randomly selected representative sample of students, faculty and staff at each U-M campus, including Michigan Medicine. The reports highlight strengths and opportunities for improvement on each campus.
The survey measured individual perceptions and experiences of campus climate including those based on race, color and national origin, including actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, and experiences of potential discrimination and harassment.
It also included questions on sense of value and belonging, willingness to intervene as a bystander in harassing or discriminatory situations, and awareness of relevant university policies and resources.
“These findings affirm what makes the UM-Dearborn community special,” said Andrea Berry McDaniel, UM-Dearborn’s director of equity, civil rights and Title IX. “Students feel comfortable and safe in their classrooms, and employees report a strong sense of belonging in their work units. We’re grateful to everyone who fosters this climate each day. ECRT will use these insights with campus partners to address opportunities for growth and build an even more welcoming, responsive environment.”
The survey findings will be used to evaluate current awareness, training and response programs and inform future policies and programming to strengthen efforts to cultivate a thriving campus community free of discrimination and harassment. The response rate was 41% of employees and 17% of students invited to participate.
Below is a snapshot of the key findings for the Dearborn campus:
Most students and employees feel comfortable and safe at UM-Dearborn, especially in classrooms and immediate work settings.
- Students report particularly strong comfort in their classes, while nine in 10 employees feel comfortable within their department or work unit.
- Muslim and Arab students, as well as students whose primary language is not English, report especially high levels of comfort.
- White students report somewhat less comfort than other student racial groups, while white employees report more comfort than employees with another or multiple racial identities.
Harassment and discrimination affected a small but meaningful share of the community.
Two percent of students and 7% of employees experienced such conduct in the past year.
Students and employees are willing to intervene, while awareness and confidence in institutional processes can be strengthened.
- Four in five students would check in with someone they believed was being targeted and feel confident they would intervene in identity-based harassment.
- Employees also report strong confidence in checking in, intervening, and speaking up against racist or culturally insensitive jokes.
- More than four in five employees believe UM-Dearborn would take a report seriously and maintain the reporter’s privacy.
Want to know more? Interwoven Insights will host a virtual presentation on Thursday, Oct. 22, 10-11 a.m. Register for the Climate Survey presentation. Read the full Key Findings for UM-Dearborn.
Please report discrimination and discriminatory harassment to ECRT.
