Editor’s Note: As part of the Communications Research class, Peebles and Sauder presented their research on GC’s reaction to the employment community standards, or the “hiring policy,” at the Academic Research Symposium last Saturday. They explain the results of their research in this article.

The purpose of these studies is to gauge the perspectives of the current hiring policy at Goshen College. One survey was sent to faculty and staff, another separate survey was sent to students.

Faculty and staff

The study of faculty and staff perceptions was conducted through a Qualtrics survey sent via email to a sample of 173 staff, professional staff, teaching faculty and administrative faculty at Goshen College. From the 173 employees surveyed, 75 responded, a 43-percent

response rate.

When presented with the statement, “I believe Goshen College should revise the hiring policy to allow open LGBTQ individuals to be employed in a faculty/professional staff position,” 49-percent of respondents said they strongly agree; 20-percent said they agree; 12-percent said they neither agree nor disagree; 9-percent said they disagree; and 9-percent said they strongly disagree.

When presented with the statement, “I believe Goshen College should keep the current policy regarding the employment of LGBTQ individuals at Goshen College,” 12-percent of respondents said they strongly agree; 7-percent said they agree; 15-percent said they neither agree nor disagree; 21-percent said they disagree; and 45-percent said they strongly disagree.

When presented with the statement, “my religious beliefs influence my views on the hiring of LGBTQ individuals at Goshen College,” 37-percent of respondents said they strongly agree; 35-percent said they agree; 16-percent said they neither agree nor disagree; 7-percent said they disagree; and 5-percent said they strongly disagree.

Students

The study of student perceptions was also conducted through a survey, sent to 141 students. We received 75 responses, a 53.2-precent response rate. The respondents, according to answers to demographic questions, were slightly more likely to be upperclassmen, Mennonite, female; they were highly likely to be domestic students who lived on campus and who are full-time students.

The results were that 70-percent of those surveyed were in favor of changing the hiring policy with regards to LGBTQ individuals, 19-percent opposed and 11-percent were undecided.