Sexual Misconduct Survey
Background
2021
On August 31, 2021, President Susan R. Wente announced that Wake Forest would conduct the school’s first campus climate survey on sexual misconduct. This survey would provide critical insights into the prevalence of sexual misconduct at WFU and the effectiveness of current prevention education and training, student outreach and awareness-raising efforts, Title IX policies and procedures, and survivor support services. NORC at the University of Chicago surveyed in the spring of 2022, and 2,713 students provided complete responses (for an overall response rate of 38%).
The 2026 survey is currently open to Wake Forest Reynolda campus students.
“We can only become better when we acknowledge our problems and seek out solutions. I’m asking you to join me in this work. We can do it together, and we must. ” President Susan R. Wente
What has changed since 2022?
The 2022 survey results served as a roadmap for growth. In direct response, the prevention plan identified key areas for improvement. Some of these include:
- Developed and launched an entirely new Wake Forest-specific bystander intervention program built in collaboration with students, Deacs Do It.
- Expanded institutional commitment through an increase of staff in offices that oversee prevention, response, and investigations: the Office of Institutional Equity, the Safe Office, and the Office of Wellbeing.
- Created ongoing support for student involvement by advising and creating a peer education group, Advocacy Leaders in Interpersonal Violence (ALIVE). This allowed for students interested in survivors’ support, policy change, and programming to gather in one central group rather than separately.
- Increased skill-based programming available to all students about consent, healthy relationships, boundary-setting, and more.
- Implemented “Start with Safe” branding for the Safe Office
- Hosted ConsentCon annually since 2023.
- Created the Coalition Against Interpersonal Violence to enhance student, faculty, and staff input on campus-wide efforts to end sexual misconduct.
- Annual review, update, and customization of the online training for incoming students.
Student Involvement
The first campus climate survey in 2022 centered on student involvement from the beginning. To ensure that again, the Executive Advisory Committee (EAC) on the Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Misconduct works in collaboration with the university to promote the survey. Any student, regardless of student government affiliation, is welcome to join the EAC.
Additionally, to guarantee student voice in future years, the Advisor will revive the committee every four years to provide a sustainable pathway for student involvement in future survey cycles.
2026 Representatives
- Ana Baez (’26), Co-Director of ALIVE
- Eli Leadham (‘26), Co-Chair & Office of Wellbeing Liaison
- Sienna Sferrazza (‘28), Co-Chair & Student Government Liaison
- Alice Weir (’27), Co-Director of ALIVE
- Amna Ahmed (‘27)
- Vibha Bhaskar (‘28)
- Gavin Hewston (‘29)
- Ryan Fantasia (‘28)
- Meredith Janay (‘26)
- Harper Lindsay (‘28)
Frequently Asked Questions
A total of 7,357 undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed, and 2,713 participated, yielding a response rate of 38%. In a similar survey, administered by the Association of American Universities (AAU), the response rate was 21.9% across 33 colleges and universities.
2022 results can be found here.
The Safe Office provides confidential crisis response and ongoing support services to Reynolda Campus students for concerns related to interpersonal violence (including sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking). The Safe Office is confidential, which means students can discuss whether they would like to report and can be referred to additional resources that are available on campus.
The university plans to complete the survey every three to four years.
The first step is to share the data with students, faculty, and staff, along with the recommendations from NORC, which will likely happen in the Fall 2026 semester. Once the university has the results, areas for growth will be identified guide prevention and response efforts moving forward.
There are several opportunities for students to get involved with this important work:
- Consider completing the survey if not already
- Advocacy Leaders in Interpersonal Violence Education
- Coalition Against Interpersonal Violence
Each of us has an opportunity to cultivate a caring community on campus. Given the roles of faculty and staff, it is important to know the resources that are available.
If a student discloses that they have experienced interpersonal violence (such as sexual violence, sexual harassment, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking), it is important to find out whether the student currently feels safe, provide non-judgmental support, and provide referrals to confidential resources that are available.
It is recommended that faculty and staff revisit the policy to confirm mandatory reporting obligations (role-dependent) and review available resources for students.
Additional opportunities include joining the Coalition Against Interpersonal Violence. Contact Hannah Dean, Coalition Co-Chair, for more information.
The final report will be available to the campus community in the spring semester.
Glossary
For the purpose of the survey, the following terms and definitions were used.
- insulting/offensive sexual remarks, jokes, stories
- inappropriate comments about body, appearance, or sexual activities
- social or online media to communicate offensive sexual remarks, jokes, stories, pictures, or videos
- persistent invitations for dinner, have drinks, or sex after refusal
- unwanted phone calls, emails, voice, text, instant messages, postings, or engagement on social media/online mediums
- “showing up” uninvited
- spying, watching, or following in person, or monitoring activities
- tracking location using devices or software
- contact involving penetration or oral sex without active, ongoing voluntary agreement
- kissing or other sexual touching without active, ongoing voluntary agreement
- partner controls or tries to control
- threats to physically harm a partner, someone they love, or self-harm
- use of any kind of physical force
NORC
NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, nonpartisan research organization. Information about the administered survey can be found here.
Resources for Students
One experience of sexual misconduct in our community is one too many. If you need support for experiences related to interpersonal violence (including sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking), Safe Office (Call the 24/7 confidential Helpline at 336.758.5285)
