CLASS Email March 25, 2021

Dear CSE Community Members:

Earlier this month, I met with you to introduce the CSE Climate Assessment (CLASS) Committee. Today, I am reaching out to let you know the College has selected Giffen & Kaminiski, LLC, a third-party law firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, to engage with CSE faculty, staff and students in assessing the division’s climate.

Giffen & Kaminski has experience working with higher education, including the University of Michigan, to conduct campus climate surveys. Their transparent process and forward-looking focus on building trust and culture factored into the committee’s decision. 

Giffen & Kaminski will tailor the survey questions with the help of interviews of CSE students, faculty and staff as well as through interaction with the CLASS committee. Participation in the survey will be voluntary and all responses are confidential. No identifying information will be shared with anyone within the College or elsewhere at the University.

Please look for opportunities to engage with this process as they are offered. Understanding the many facets of CSE climate – all the things that make the division great as well as those that are holding the community back – will be critical.

The survey results and their analysis will be published in the form of a final report, which will be published in July. 

I would be happy to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. 

Tuija Pulkkinen
CLASS Chair