Louisiana has conducted its first statewide survey of public college campuses on issues of violence and sexual assault. But so few students participated that the findings don’t provide much insight into campus safety, The Associated Press reports.
A 2015 state law required the campus climate survey, which colleges administered in the spring. Participation is voluntary for students.
The findings were presented today to the state Board of Regents, which oversees the law’s efforts to improve the way colleges handle sexual assaults. The board was warned against generalizing the findings.
Only 5% of college students bothered to take the survey—a response rate that isn’t a representative sample of students. The Board of Regents will try to boost participation next spring by shrinking the number of questions and seeking incentives for students to take the survey.
