South Middlesex Times

A survey conducted in the fall of 2022 on workplace behaviors at Rutgers University has led to several recommendations and actions aimed at improving the work and learning environment. The Academic and Workplace Behaviors and Environment Survey (AWBES) was spearheaded by Professor Sarah McMahon and her team at the Center for Research on Ending Violence, with support from the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The survey set three main goals: to enhance coordination of university efforts against harassment, increase resources and services, and foster a culture of respect. President Jonathan Holloway remarked, “The report serves as a call to action to improve our response to and prevention of sexual harassment.” He noted that despite existing resources, many employees still encounter or witness harassment.

Approximately 17% of over 26,200 faculty and staff participated in the survey. Results indicated that respondents had experienced various forms of workplace incivility (17.3%) and sexual harassment (12.6%) in the previous year.

McMahon stated, “Acts of incivility and harassment impact not only individuals but also their colleagues and the broader campus environment.” She emphasized the need for community-wide engagement using evidence-based strategies for both response and prevention.

The final report is accessible on the Your Voice, Our Rutgers website. The AWBES is part of a series of climate surveys intended to gather data that will guide improvements in Rutgers’ approach to harassment complaints.

Following the survey results, several initiatives were undertaken:

- A universitywide steering committee met during 2023-2024 to develop actionable recommendations.

- Work groups within each chancellor-led unit are set to implement these recommendations over the next year.

- A president’s cabinet subgroup was established to guide this work further.

Additionally, McMahon was appointed as special advisor on sexual misconduct prevention, reporting directly to President Holloway. An associate vice president position within University Ethics and Compliance will also be created to help maintain a safe environment across campuses.

Rutgers has historically engaged its research capabilities to address issues like sexual violence effectively. In 2014, it launched its first student sexual violence survey, which became a national model. To further combat sexual harassment, Rutgers joined an Action Collaborative with other institutions under the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The AWBES utilized methods based on validated instruments recommended by these academies. McMahon highlighted that these measures allowed for reliable data collection while maintaining participant anonymity through deidentified datasets.