Though 80% of Marquette’s undergraduate students are comfortable with its campus climate, over half of faculty and staff have seriously considered leaving the university.
That’s according to the results of Marquette’s 2025 Campus Climate Survey, which were released after the university polled students, faculty and staff last February and March. 838 staff members and 523 faculty members responded to the survey, accounting for 58% and 43% of their respective populations.
Faculty and staff responses
Faculty and staff were reported as varied in the value they felt at Marquette, generally answering that they were valued more by students than by university leadership and community members.
Over half of faculty and staff respondents also reported having seriously considered leaving Marquette. Respondents cited salary, limited advancement opportunities and increases in workload as reasons for having considered departure.
Faculty responded as 51% comfortable with the climate of Marquette’s campus while staff were 72% comfortable. The report recognized discrepancies in comfort for historically marginalized groups, such as Black respondents and respondents not identifying as men or women. However, the report didn’t specify what kind of comfort differences.
Participants were also surveyed on discrimination at Marquette, citing the forms they believed to be most problematic. Power/privilege was the most-commonly answered theme among faculty and staff, who also acknowledged favoritism and cronyism — giving opportunities to close friends over more-qualified candidates.
Student responses
Students affirmed Marquette’s campus climate more than faculty and staff, as 80% of undergraduate students and 77% of graduate students responded as feeling comfortable.
In the classroom, four out of five graduate and undergraduate students answered “agree” or better to being satisfied with their academics and intellectual development.
35% of undergraduate students and 22% of graduate students reported considering departure from Marquette, listing lack of belonging, an unwelcoming climate and cost.
Students responded to the survey at a lower rate than faculty and staff, with 18% of the population participating.
Open comments
At the survey’s close, respondents were given the opportunity for open-ended comment. The report listed “trust and transparency” as the most-commented theme, with participants indicating a lack of trust in university decision-making, clarity and communication.
The 2025 Campus Climate Survey received 3,341 responses, accounting for just under a quarter of the Marquette community. It was the third such study done by Marquette, with previous surveys taking place in 2015 and 2020.
This story was written by Lance Schulteis. He can be reached at [email protected].
