Supplementary Materials

Dean and Nestor, Supplementary Materials from 'Assessing Outcomes on an Antiracism Unit in a Required First-Year Seminar at a PWI,' in The Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 2024.

Appendix A: Survey Instruments

Student Surveys

Student - Initial Survey Questions (not repeated on the post- survey)

Demographic variables:

  • Name (swapped for a numeric key so all respondents remained anonymous to the researchers)
  • Age
  • Race (standard racial categories)
  • Gender (M/F/Non-binary)
  • Parents'/Guardians' Edu Levels
  • First-year/Soph/Jun/Sen
  • Intl. Student Status (yes/no)
  • How would you feel about having a close friend of another race?
    • Not Acceptable/Somewhat Acceptable/Acceptable/Desirable/Not Sure
  • How would you feel about having a job where most employees are of another race than you?
    • Not Acceptable/Somewhat Acceptable/Acceptable/Desirable/Not Sure
  • What race are your close friends?
    • All my race/almost all my race/mostly my race/mostly another race than mine/almost all another race than mine/all another race than mine
  • What race are the people in your home neighborhood?
    • All my race/almost all my race/mostly my race/mostly another race than mine/almost all another race than mine/all another race than mine
  • What race were the students in the high school where you spent the most time?
    • All my race/almost all my race/mostly my race/mostly another race than mine/almost all another race than mine/all another race than mine
  • What do you believe the role of college education is in engaging students on issues surrounding race and diversity? [open-ended]

Student Survey – Administered on both initial and end-of-semester surveys

Experiences:

  • How often do you do things (like having a conversation, eating together, playing sports) with people of other races?
    • Not at all/A little/Some/a lot
  • In the last year, how often have you discussed race with other people?
    • Almost every day / once a week / occasionally / a couple times / never
  • I am comfortable talking about race in class discussions.
    • Strongly disagree / Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • If you indicated you were uncomfortable talking about race in the classroom, what makes you uncomfortable? [open-ended]

Opinions:

  • I believe I am aware of how race works in the US.
    • Strongly disagree / Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • Do you think that racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States is a problem or not a problem?
    • Yes, big problem/Yes, small problem/Yes, but not sure if big or small /No, not a problem/Not sure
  • Do you think the Black Lives Matter protests this summer were:
    • Fully justified/partially justified/not at all justified?
  • How firm are you about your opinion on race relations--would you say you are:
    • Very likely to change your opinion/somewhat likely to change/somewhat unlikely to change/very unlikely to change?
  • In history classes in high school and college, do the experiences of racial and ethnic minority groups in America receive:
    • Too much attention now/too little attention/about the right amount?
  • When you think about these changes in the racial and ethnic make-up of the country in the next 25 years, do you think they will be:
    • A very good thing for the country, a good thing, neither good nor bad, a bad thing, or a very bad thing?
  • Irish, Italian, Jewish, and many other minorities overcame prejudice and worked their way up. Black people  should do the same without any special favors.
    • Strongly disagree / Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • Generations of slavery and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for Black people to work their way out of the lower class.
    • Strongly disagree / Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • Over the past few years, Black people have gotten less than they deserve.
    • Strongly disagree / Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • It's really a matter of some people just not trying hard enough: if Black people would only try harder they could be just as well off as whites.
    • Strongly disagree / Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • Government officials usually pay less attention to a request or complaint from a Black person than from a white person.
    • Strongly disagree / Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • Generally, how do you feel about the experiences you've had with people of a race different from yours?
    • Very bad/Mostly bad/Neither good or bad/Mostly good/Very good
  • Is racism a problem and if so where?
    • Racism is not a problem anywhere/ Racism is a problem elsewhere but not in the U.S./ Racism is a problem in the U.S. but not elsewhere / Racism is a problem everywhere
  • Do you believe systemic racism exists?
    • Yes/In Some Contexts/No

Information:

  • Which of the following best describes the science of racial difference?
    • Racial groups are differentiated biologically based on muscle and bone structures / Racial groups differentiated biologically based on genetic sequences / Racial groups are not differentiated biologically but rather by social definitions
  • Which of the following best describes the average amount of wealth that white and Black people have accumulated?
    • White and Black people have nearly the same amount of average wealth / White people have double the amount of wealth that Black people have / White people have four times the amount of wealth that Black people have / White people have over ten times the amount of wealth that Black people have
  • Which of the following best describes drug usage rates by race?
    • Black and Hispanic people are 25% more likely than whites to use drugs / Whites are 25% more likely than Black and Hispanic people to use drugs / White, Black, and Hispanic people are all equally like to use drugs
  • Which of the following best describe the distribution of educational resources?
    • Public funding for high schools is allocated evenly for all students, regardless of race / White students, on average, receive more public school funding than Black and Hispanic students / Because of affirmative action, Black and Hispanic students receive more public school funding than white students
  • The primary effect of voter ID laws has been which of the following? 
    • Reducing voter fraud / Reducing turnout of Black and Hispanic voters / Reducing turnout of voters of all races
  • Statistics on incarceration reveal which of the following?
    • Black and Hispanic people are four times as likely as whites to be incarcerated / Black and Hispanic people are ten times as likely as whites be incarcerated / Black, Hispanic, and white people are equally as likely to be incarcerated
  • Instructor/class meeting time

Students – End-of-semester survey only

OWU Campus Climate:

  • What are your impressions of the OWU campus climate when it comes to race?
  • How did the 2020 election affect the OWU campus climate?
    • Positively/Neither positively or negatively/negatively
  • Explain your response to the previous question.

Diversity Component:

  • I felt comfortable contributing to the group discussion when addressing readings from How to be an Antiracist.
    • Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • My contributions to class discussions on How to be an Antiracist were respected.
    • Strongly Disagree / Disagree / I did not contribute / Agree / Strongly Agree
  • How did you feel the diversity component (reading Kendi book, journaling, class discussions) went?  Please share your thoughts. [open-ended]
  • What do you feel you learned because of the diversity component, if anything?
  • Did the diversity component affect your satisfaction with your choice of [higher education institution]?
    • Yes, it made me more satisfied with my choice/it neither made me more or less satisfied/yes, it made me less satisfied with my choice.
  • Please comment on your response to the previous question. [open-ended]

Instructor Surveys

Instructor Survey – Pre-Survey

  • Name (swapped for a numeric key so all respondents remained anonymous to the researchers)
  • How many times have you previously taught [this course]?
  • Which academic division are you from?
    • Natural Sciences / Social Sciences / Humanities / Arts / Non-faculty Staff
  • Race (standard categories)
  • Gender (M/F/non-binary)
  • In the last year, how many courses have you taught where race was the focus of at least one topic of the course?
    • 0-6
  • How do you perceive your level of experience when it comes to discussing issues surrounding race in the classroom?
    • Very experienced/experienced/neither experienced or inexperienced/inexperienced/very inexperienced
  • Do you think about race when building the courses you traditionally teach?  
    • Yes, a lot/Yes, a little/Neutral/Not much/Not at all/Not sure
  • Do you intentionally include authors/readings from different racial backgrounds?
    • Yes/Sometimes/No/Not Sure
  • Do you feel you know the appropriate/inclusive terminology to use in the classroom?
    • Always/Most of the time/some of the time/not at all
  • How comfortable do you feel with your ability to address students who make problematic comments?
    • Very comfortable/usually comfortable/neither comfortable or uncomfortable/usually uncomfortable/very uncomfortable
  • To what degree do you feel you can recognize and confront your own biases surrounding racial issues in the classroom?
    • I am certain I can do so/I feel I can usually do so/I am not sure I can do so/I cannot do so
  • How supportive do you feel of the decision to include the Kendi reading in [this course] this semester?
    • Very supportive/supportive/neither supportive or not supportive/somewhat unsupportive/very unsupportive
  • Please share your thoughts/concerns about the chosen reading. [open-ended]
  • Please share your thoughts/concerns about the planned approach surrounding the diversity assignment this semester. [open-ended]
  • f any, what additional resources or trainings would have helped you to better prepare for teaching with the Kendi book and addressing issues of race in [this course]? [open-ended]
  • Other/open comments

Instructors – Post-Survey

  • How do you perceive your level of experience when it comes to discussing issues surrounding race in the classroom?
    • Very experienced/experienced/neither experienced or inexperienced/inexperienced/very inexperienced
  • Do you feel you know the appropriate/inclusive terminology to use in the classroom?
    • Always/Most of the time/some of the time/not at all
  • How comfortable do you feel with your ability to address students who make problematic comments?
    • Very comfortable/usually comfortable/neither comfortable or uncomfortable/usually uncomfortable/very uncomfortable
  • After teaching this course, do you feel more or less comfortable addressing issues of race in the classroom?
    • More comfortable/About the same/Less comfortable
  • Please comment on the response to the previous question. [open-ended]
  • Now that the semester is over, how supportive do you feel of the decision to include the Kendi reading this semester?
    • Very supportive/supportive/neither supportive or not supportive/somewhat unsupportive/very unsupportive
  • Please comment on the response you provided to the previous question. [open-ended]
  • Keeping the diversity assignment, reading, and activities in mind, please share your experience in the classroom this fall. Were there things that went well? Not well? [open-ended]
  • What recommendations would you make for improving the approach to the diversity assignment in the future? [open-ended]

Contact Info

Location

Elliott Hall 312
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015




P 740-368-3837
F 740-368-3644
E psdean@owu.edu