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Campus Climate Definitions

Survey Terms and Definitions

Following are several terms and definitions that are used in the 2025 Rankin Climate survey instrument. We recognize that language is continuously changing. All the terms offered here were intended as flexible, working definitions. The classifications used here may differ from legal definitions. Culture, economic background, region, race, and age all influence how we talk about others and ourselves. Because of this, all language is subjective and culturally defined and most identity labels are dependent on personal interpretation and experience. This list strives to use the most inclusive language possible while also offering useful descriptions of community terms.

• American Indian (Native American): Is a descendant of the land鈥檚 original inhabitants, comprising any of the original tribes of North America, and maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
• Asexual: Lack of sexual attraction to others. Unlike celibacy, which people choose, asexuality is an intrinsic part of an individual.
• Bisexual: Attraction, romantically, emotionally, and/or sexually, to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree.
• Bullied: Being subjected to unwanted offensive and malicious behavior that undermines, patronizes, intimidates, or demeans.
• Climate: The current attitudes and behaviors of faculty, staff, administrators, and students, as well as institutional policies and procedures, which influence the level of respect for individual needs, abilities, and potential.
• Content Analysis: A flexible and rigorous method of systematically identifying, analyzing, and interpreting recurring patterns within text, aligned with a researcher鈥檚 study objectives.
• Disability: A physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities.
• Ethnicity: A socially constructed category about a group of people based on their shared culture. This can be reflected in language, religion, material culture such as clothing and cuisine, and cultural products such as music and art.
• Gender identity: A person鈥檚 inner sense of being man, woman, both, or neither. Gender identity may or may not be expressed outwardly and may or may not correspond to one鈥檚 physical characteristics.
• Gender expression: The manner in which a person outwardly represents gender, regardless of the physical characteristics that might typically define the individual as man or woman.
• Gender fluid: Gender expression that does not adhere to one fixed gender expression; individuals鈥� expression of themselves as man, woman, or non-binary at different times or under different circumstances.
• Genderqueer: Relating to an identity that may be both man or woman, neither man or woman, or completely outside of these categories, or to a person who is gender nonconforming through expression, behavior, social roles, and/or identity.
• Microaggressions: Subtle statements, actions, or incidents, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, insulting, or subtle slights toward historically minoritized groups or individuals.
• Mixed-status family: A family whose members have different immigration statuses.
• Nepotism: Employees voting, making recommendations or in any way participating in decisions about any personnel matter which may directly affect the selection, appointment, evaluation, retention, tenure, compensation, promotion, termination, other employment status or interest of an immediate family member. 鈥淚mmediate family member鈥� is defined as a close relative including: parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, spouse, registered domestic partner, step-parent, step-child, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and by guardianship and/or adoption or a person residing in the immediate household except live-in household employees or roomers.
• Non-Binary: Any gender, or lack of gender, or mix of genders, that is not strictly man or woman.
• People of Color: People who self-identify as other than White.
• Position: The status individuals hold by virtue of their role/status in the institution (e.g., undergraduate student, staff, full-time faculty, part-time faculty, administrator).
• Queer: A term used by some individuals to challenge static notions of gender and sexuality. The term is used to explain a complex set of sexual behaviors and desires. 鈥淨ueer鈥� is also used as an umbrella term to refer to all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
• Racial identity: A socially constructed category about a group of people based on generalized physical features such as skin color, hair type, shape of eyes, physique, etc.
• Sexual identity: A personal characteristic based on the sex of people to whom one is emotionally, physically, and sexually attracted.
• Socioeconomic status: The status one holds in society based on one鈥檚 level of income, wealth, education, and familial background.
• System-impacted status: A person who is legally, economically, or familially affected in a negative way by the incarceration of a close relative. System-impacted also includes people who have been arrested and/or convicted without incarceration.
• Transgender: An umbrella term referring to those whose gender identity or gender expression is different from that associated with their sex assigned at birth.