Background and context of overall climate survey
To guide actions that improve the experiences and well-being of our students, faculty and staff, the UW conducted a University-wide climate survey on the Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses and at UW Medicine, April 22 through May 30, 2025. This survey offered an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to share their personal experiences at the UW. Feedback from over 11,000 respondents will help us improve the climate on our campuses and individual units.
To Learn more about the UW Campus Climate Survey: University of Washington Campus Climate Survey
In response to the climate survey, a toolkit series was developed to guide University of Washington community members in understanding, interpreting, reflecting on, and responding to findings of the 2025 Campus Climate Survey.
The purpose of each toolkit is to help UW leaders understand a climate survey theme, interpret their local results, facilitate meaningful conversations with their teams, and identify evidence-informed actions that support a positive organizational climate.
Findings varied by campus and units and while overarching themes are presented below, specific details pertaining to one’s specific campus unit can be found on the Climate Survey Dashboard.
What is sense of belonging?
During the 2024-25 academic year, the UW Race & Equity Initiative’s Climate and Belonging Working Group drafted the following definition: The University of Washington holds that belonging is a fundamental human need: all of us want to feel accepted, valued, and connected within a community. A sense of belonging is nurtured through the intentional development of meaningful relationships and authentic interactions where individuals are recognized and supported in all their identities. When belonging is prioritized, it fosters an environment where social change happens organically, is co-created, and is responsive to the diverse voices and experiences of those in our community. This dynamic process creates a positive feedback loop, continuously strengthening the sense of belonging for both current and future members of the community.
A 2026 American Association of State Colleges and Universities ( AASCU) Belonging Toolkit defines belonging as a feeling of acceptance, integration, competence, and safety in a particular institutional community. Four “subdomains” of belonging include:
- Social integration and acceptance: the feeling that peers and colleagues welcome and value you, that you have a place within a social network with meaningful connections
- Institutional integration and acceptance: the feeling that institutional representatives recognize and appreciate you and your role
- Competence and knowledge: the feeling that you understand what is necessary to succeed in your role and have the resources and opportunities to succeed
- Psychological comfort and safety: the feeling that you are safe to express yourself without undue judgment or discrimination. (AASCU Belonging Toolkit, 2026).
Why sense of belonging matters
Universities depend on strong relationships. Teaching, learning, research, innovation, and service all rely on people feeling connected to one another and to the institution. When students, faculty, and staff experience a strong sense of belonging, they are more likely to engage fully in their work and learning, contribute new ideas, collaborate across differences, seek support when needed, and remain committed to the university community.
Research consistently shows that belonging is associated with positive outcomes across higher education. For students, belonging is linked to engagement, persistence, well-being, increased retention, and academic success. For faculty and staff, belonging contributes to job satisfaction, collaboration, innovation, organizational commitment, and retention. Conversely, when individuals feel isolated, excluded, or disconnected, motivation, well-being, and performance can be negatively affected.
The UW Climate Survey provides an opportunity to better understand how members of the university campus community experience belonging within their local work, living and learning environments. By reflecting on survey results and engaging in meaningful dialogue, leaders and teams can identify strengths to build upon and opportunities to strengthen connection, inclusion, and community across the university.
Survey questions asked
To better understand experiences of belonging across the University of Washington, respondents were asked a series of questions about campus climate, personal feelings of belonging, and perceptions of respect for diverse identities and groups within the UW community. The following questions can be found in the UW Climate Survey Dashboards:
- Campus climate encourages free and open discussion of difficult topics.
- People of diverse backgrounds and identities are accepted at the UW.
- The UW commits adequate resources to support the success of diverse employees.
- The UW commits adequate resources to support the success of diverse students.
- The UW has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- The University of Washington is a welcome campus.
- I am treated with respect at the UW.
- I feel comfortable sharing my point of view at the UW.
- I feel like I am a part of the UW community.
- I feel like I belong at the University of Washington.
- I feel like I can be my authentic self at the UW.
- I feel valued at the UW.
- I have a good support network at the UW.
- I have mentors or role models at the UW.
- People of my gender/gender identity are respected at the UW.
- People of my parental/caregiving status are respected at the UW.
- People of my race/ethnicity are respected at the UW.
- People of my sexual orientation are respected at the UW.
- People of my shared ancestry are respected at the UW.
- People of my veteran status are respected at the UW.
- People that share my religious beliefs are respected at the UW.
- People with a disability/condition like mine are respected at the UW.
If there is anything more that you would like to share about your sense of belonging at the UW, please do so here.
Key findings
Overall, the findings show a strong foundation for belonging across the UW community. A majority of respondents report that they feel they belong at the UW, between 68% and 77% across the four campuses (UW Bothell, UW Seattle, UW Tacoma, and UW Medicine).
Most respondents report positive experiences of the climate at UW, in their department or unit, and in their immediate learning or working environments. A majority also report feeling respected and welcomed, including for people from diverse backgrounds and identities. At the same time, the findings reveal meaningful differences in experiences across populations and point to opportunities to strengthen belonging across the university.
Key findings:
- A majority of staff respondents report that they feel they belong at the UW, ranging from 66% to 78% across the four campuses.
- The survey findings indicate that across the UW community roughly three quarters of staff (72-78%) reported feeling valued by their supervisor. Staff also generally describe positive relationships within their immediate work environments, suggesting that supervisors and colleagues can be important sources of connection and belonging.
- Connection is challenged by changing work environments
- Remote and hybrid work support flexibility and work-life balance but have reduced informal interactions and day-to-day community.
- Staff express a desire to rebuild meaningful connections without requiring a full return to in-person work.
- Career growth influences belonging
- Many staff describe feeling “stuck” with limited advancement opportunities.
- Reduced professional development funding and constrained budgets contribute to lower morale.
- Investment in career pathways is viewed as an important signal that staff are valued.
- Organizational climate matters
- Budget uncertainty and staffing reductions create stress and affect belonging.
- Staff expressed concern about political climate and uncertainty about what leaders can/should say as a public institution.
- Staff want clearer communication from leadership about shared workplace norms and greater accountability to support work-life balance.
- Some also identified a need to reduce perceived “us versus them” dynamics between staff and academic personnel and rebuild cross-group connection.
Key findings:
- A majority of academic personnel respondents report that they feel they belong at the UW, ranging from 62% to 75% across the four campuses.
- Faculty experiences vary across groups. Many faculty report positive experiences of belonging and collegial connection, particularly within their immediate academic communities.
- Belonging is not experienced equally
- Some historically marginalized faculty, including faculty on the trans spectrum and other underrepresented groups, report lower belonging than the faculty population overall.
- Time is a major constraint
- Faculty consistently describe being overextended.
- Community-building efforts are more likely to succeed when they are practical, purposeful, and require minimal additional time.
- Hybrid work complicates rebuilding in-person community
- The shift to online teaching and hybrid work has made rebuilding in-person academic communities more difficult.
- Faculty note the loss of informal conversations that previously strengthened collegial relationships.
- Structured engagement is valued
- Faculty expressed interest in facilitated activities that combine relationship-building with professional value.
Key findings:
- A majority of graduate student respondents report that they feel they belong at the UW, ranging from 73% to 83% across the three campuses (UWB, UWS, and UWT).
- Most graduate students reported feeling comfortable sharing their professional goals with their advisor and feel supported in pursuing these goals.
- Psychological safety is central
- Graduate students frequently report hesitancy to speak openly because of concerns about harming advisor relationships, losing funding, or fear of retaliation.
- Feeling safe to ask questions, raise concerns, or seek help is closely connected to belonging.
- Advising and mentoring relationships matter
- Participants called for clearer expectations, healthier advising practices, transparent processes, and options for changing advisors when relationships become unhealthy.
- Interest in expanding structured mentoring communities indicates mentoring and support networks can drive belonging.
- Systems can be difficult to navigate
- Orientation, university resources, and support services can feel complex.
- Turnover among graduate support staff and leadership can further reduce continuity and trust.
- Recognition matters
- Graduate students report feeling more connected when faculty and university leaders acknowledge external events that affect students and communicate clearly that students are valued members of the university community.
Key findings:
- A majority of undergraduate student respondents report that they feel they belong at the UW, ranging from 72% to 75% across the three campuses (UWB, UWS, and UWT),, and students find community through a wide range of experiences across the university.
- Belonging varies across student experiences
- Local context matters and one-size-fits-all efforts may miss.
- Mentoring and support networks are important
- Changes to advising models may affect students’ ability to develop meaningful mentoring relationships.
- Participants noted relatively low levels of connection between students and staff.
- Multiple pathways create belonging
- Students find community through many experiences, including student organizations, residence life, Greek Life, athletics, academic programs.
- Participants emphasized the importance of helping students discover and access these pathways.
- Respect across differences matters
- Participants emphasized creating environments where students with diverse perspectives feel respected and where institutional commitments to inclusion are visible.
Belonging may vary by role, identity, campus, unit, and other characteristics. Leaders are encouraged to use the interactive dashboard to explore results for their own campus or unit and consider which groups may be experiencing belonging differently. To find specific data about your campus or unit you can access the dashboard at: https://sites.uw.edu/yourvoice/
Suggested discussion questions for leaders to engage with the data
Once you have had a chance to explore themes across your campus and your unit-specific data, we encourage you to work through the following questions. In addition to filtering for your unit in the dashboards, we also recommend filtering by different participant demographics to examine differential experiences for students, staff, and/or faculty in your unit. These questions can be helpful for individuals to reflect on the climate in their units and at UW, as well as serve as a resource for leaders to reflect with their teams about how to make sense of this data for their units.
- What is your initial response to these data for the campus and your unit? What stands out in these findings?
- What good news is there to celebrate?
- How do these findings compare to what you experience in your department/unit?
- What are the opportunities suggested by the data?
- Who may be experiencing belonging differently, and how do we know?
- What are your impressions as you look at the different groups and their experiences?
- What trends by groups are you identifying?
- What contributes most to belonging in your community today?
- What barriers to belonging might exist in your practices, policies, or culture?
- How do your unit’s systems, structures, and development investments reinforce the conditions where people consistently feel connected, valued, and safe?
- Are there examples of actions or initiatives that have contributed to you having a sense of belonging on campus? If so, what are they?
- Are there examples of actions or initiatives that have contributed to you having a lower sense of belonging on campus? If so, what are they?
- What are your biggest hopes for the future in terms of school or departmental climate?
- How must the culture shift or expand so that every community member feels invited and safe to show up as their whole, authentic self?
- How would your group or team look, feel, and function if everyone experienced a deep sense of belonging?
- What would progress look like?
- Considering both what is actionable and where you feel you can have a positive impact, what issues are you most interested in addressing or prioritizing at this time, and why?
- What is one meaningful action you can take to strengthen belonging?
- Who should be involved in developing solutions?
- Who will be primarily accountable, along with school/college/administrative unit leadership, for advancing the action plan?
- How will you measure progress?
- How will you communicate progress?
Action planning
We hope your unit’s dialogues and discussions about the sense of belonging data yielded opportunities to recognize strengths and identify areas for meaningful change. Moving from observation and reflection to meaningful action takes detailed planning.
An action plan helps the team:
- Develop priority goals (such as SMART Goals)
- Clarify responsibilities by assigning tasks to specific individuals or groups.
- Set timelines for each step, keeping progress on track.
- Identify needed resources ahead of time to avoid delays.
- Monitor progress and adjust as needed.
- Increase accountability and teamwork by making expectations transparent.
As you identify priorities and develop your action plan, the following recommendations from the survey findings may help guide your efforts:
- Invest in professional development and career pathways.
- Create intentional hybrid-friendly opportunities for connection.
- Strengthen communication, workplace norms, and cross-functional relationships.
- Design low-effort, high-value community-building opportunities.
- Expand mentoring and peer-support structures.
- Support belonging among underrepresented and marginalized faculty.
- Strengthen advising systems and accountability.
- Increase psychological safety.
- Improve navigation of graduate resources and support services.
- Expand peer mentoring and community networks.
- Expand awareness of opportunities for connection.
- Strengthen mentoring and advising relationships.
- Foster respectful dialogue across differing perspectives.
- Build community across all three UW campuses.
Here is an action planning template that you and your team can use to move toward meaningful action: Download Microsoft Word Document | Download PDF
Opportunities for continued learning and engagement
- How to Increase Your Sense of Belonging: Describes belonging as a fundamental human need that enhances mental well-being and resilience, explains how shared activities, values, and identities foster meaningful connections, and highlights how being part of a community gives individuals a sense of purpose and connection to something larger than themselves.
- Sense of Belonging: Changing Institutions, Not Just Individuals: Belonging is shaped not only by individual experiences but also by institutional policies, practices, and culture, requiring institutions to create environments where all community members can thrive.
- 3 Ways to Make ‘Belonging’ More Than a Buzzword: Encourages higher education leaders to view belonging as an ongoing process shaped by relationships, campus environments, and institutional practices to increase people’s connectedness and mattering at their institutions.
- How to Build Belonging at Work: How leaders can cultivate cultures of connection, trust, and psychological safety by embedding belonging into organizational practices, helping people feel valued, connected, and empowered to contribute fully.
- Belonging Through Connection, Connecting Through Love: Oneself, the Other, and the Earth: A conversation between bell hooks & john a. powell at the 2015 Othering & Belonging Conference
- Citizen Brain: “Othering and Belonging”: How understanding the neuroscience of bias and empathy can foster a shift from societal division to inclusive belonging.
- Bridging Differences in Higher Education Playbook: Research-based practices to foster dialogue across differences, strengthen connection and belonging, and create environments where students feel respected, heard, and valued.
- Pulse Strategies: Measuring Belonging for Engagement and Success: 2026 American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Belonging Toolkit includes examples of specific actions that can be taken to increase belongingness (pp. 48-54).
- Well-being for Life & Learning: This University of Washington guidebook provides research-informed strategies for advancing student well-being through teaching for equity and access, nurturing connection, building resilience coping skills, and connecting to the environment.
- Five for Flourishing: Highlights the University of Washington’s Five for Flourishing initiative, demonstrating how simple classroom practices can strengthen student connection, belonging, well-being, and engagement, even in large courses.
- UW Employee Affinity Groups: Open to all employees, UW affinity groups foster community, connection, and a workplace where people feel seen, heard, and valued.