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Caste in Higher Education Survey 2022

Why you should take this survey

This is a short survey intended to analyze the practice of caste, among people of South Asian ancestry, in US-based colleges, universities, and other higher education settings. The questions below are focused on assessing the way caste and caste discrimination presents itself in college and university settings, as well as starting to identify the infrastructures of support that are present, missing, and need to be created to ensure accountability and restoration. 

If you are South Asian or part of the South Asian diaspora, and are currently working or have worked for or studied in a U.S. higher education setting, we encourage you to take this survey. This survey should take an estimated 15 minutes to complete. Please note that since this is an anonymized survey, your survey answers will not be traced back to you as an individual.
1.Do you consent to participating in this study on experiences with caste discrimination in higher education settings? (Required.)
2.Do you currently, or have in the past, studied or worked at a U.S. based college or university?  This can be a college or university in the U.S. itself or a U.S.- based college or university operating out of another country.(Required.)
3.In which city and state is/was your higher education setting?  Enter NA if you did not study in the United States.
4.Are you based in a college or university outside the United States?(Required.)
5.If yes, where (City, Country)? (example: Brussels, Belgium)
6.For all survey participants, fill out the following to your degree of comfort:
7.What is/was your standing at the higher education institution?(Required.)
8.How is your caste background best identified?(Required.)
9.What is your family's religious affiliation? Check all that apply.(Required.)
10.What is your country of origin?(Required.)
11.What is your documentation status?(Required.)
12.If on a student visa, did you face any challenges in getting your visa?
13.If yes, please describe the reasons for the same based on your financial status, your caste and/or tribal status, your religious background, your area of study, or anything else to the best of your ability. If no, please write N/A.
14.What was your major source of funding to pursue higher education here in the U.S.?(Required.)
15.Did you work multiple jobs while taking classes?(Required.)
16.If YES, how many hours did you work per week?
17.Was there ever a situation where you had to apply for an emergency loan for an unexpected crisis or expense? Note, an emergency loan is separate from your regular financial aid package.(Required.)
18.If yes, which institution provided the emergency loan? If no, click N/A.
19.If applicable, tell us what fellowships you have applied to for your period of study? If not, write N/A.
20.Have you experienced any forms of discrimination in a U.S. higher education setting?(Required.)
21.Name the basis of discrimination. (check all that apply)
22.Was caste one of the basis of the discrimination?
23.If you marked YES to question #22, what kind of caste-based discrimination did you face or witness? Check all that apply. If you HAVE NOT experienced any caste-based discrimination, please check "Have not experienced any caste-based discrimination".
24.If you are/were staff, faculty, or employee of the higher education institution and marked YES, what kind of workplace-based caste-based discrimination did you face or witness? Check all that apply. If you HAVE NOT experienced any caste-based discrimination, please check "Have not experienced any caste-based discrimination".
25.Have you had a professor express caste bias or their curriculum have caste bias?
26.I notice that social circles on campus roughly fall along caste lines (Required.)
27.Have you experienced caste stress (psychological distress associated with experiences of caste in your campus)?(Required.)
28.If YES, please check the symptoms of caste stress that you experienced. Check all that apply. If you have not experienced caste stress, please check “Have not experienced caste stress.”
29.How did you respond to or cope with these symptoms of caste stress?
30.Did you have access to caste and culturally competent mental health services that helped you navigate your experiences around caste stress and trauma?
31.Did your college or university explicitly list "Caste" as a category in its anti-discrimination at the time that you faced caste-based discrimination?(Required.)
32.Have you ever reported caste-based discrimination to your college or university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion or hate and bias committee?(Required.)
33.How satisfied were you with the outcome of the college or university’s investigation? If you did not go through a diversity and equity or hate and bias reporting process, please check "Not Applicable"
34.If applicable, do you have any comments regarding the process you went through?
35.What obstacles did you face/do you anticipate facing in reporting caste-based discrimination to your university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion channels? Check all that apply.(Required.)
36.In your opinion, should colleges and universities take steps to address caste-based discrimination in higher education settings? (Required.)
37.If yes, what steps do you suggest college and university campuses take to address caste-based discrimination in higher education?
38.Some colleges and universities have expressed an interest and plans to add caste as a protected category within their anti-discrimination policies. Would you support such efforts?(Required.)
39.Optional: Please explain why you would or wouldn't support such an effort
40.Is there any thing else you would like to add? 
 
When you are finished, please press the done button and make sure you see the "Thank you for taking this survey" screen. We thank you for your time