Results of the survey are expected to reach the MSU community this fall on the Know More @ MSU website.

Although the survey wasn't mandatory, more than 15,000 people responded. Of those respondents, about 9,500 were students, 4,500 were staff and 1,000 were from faculty, according to the release.

Because of the large number of participants, the press release said the results will provide a detailed picture of the culture and perceptions associated with RVSM on MSU's campus. 

"I want to thank the thousands of students, staff and faculty who took the time to participate in the Know More @ MSU survey," MSU Acting President Satish Udpa said in the press release. “This survey was very carefully created to give us a baseline of community knowledge about RVSM, and we are committed to sharing the results openly and using the data to shape future programming and policy decisions.”

The nonprofit research institute RTI International conducted the survey and has experience addressing sexual assault on college campuses. In 2015, RTI conducted the Campus Climate Survey Validation Study (CCSVS), a survey with funding from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Office on Violence Against Women.

According to RTI, the CCSVS supports that school-specific data is an important factor to “generate high-quality, statistically precise estimates” since statistics of sexual assault can be misleading if incidents are never reported.

Reliance on confidential surveys like Know More @ MSU when re-administered can be used by universities to analyze trends over time and implement change to better campus climate, the press release said.

"We know that many offices and groups on campus are eager to use the data to help make meaningful changes to programs and policies," Carrie Moylan, a member of the RVSM Workgroup, said in the press release. “We hope the results of this survey provoke conversation, and more importantly, action, as we work together to create real culture change.”