The USC Well-being Collective currently tracks 8 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These align with the four well-being goal areas and were developed in partnership with USC Student Health, USC Student Life and other campus partners.
Our goal areas and KPIs are the following:
- Goal 1: To enhance a culture of equity and inclusion:
- KPI 1: Proportion of students experiencing belonging at USC.
- KPI 2: Proportion of students reporting being treated fairly and equitably in classrooms and classroom-like settings.
- KPI 3: Proportion of students reporting being treated fairly and equitably in out-of-class university spaces.
- Goal 2: To create a culture where individuals and communities thrive:
- KPI 4: Proportion of students with flourishing.
- Goal 3: To disrupt the culture of at-risk substance use:
- KPI 5: Proportion of all students reporting at-risk drinking in the past 2 weeks.
- KPI 6: Proportion of incoming undergraduate students reporting at-risk drinking after the first 6 weeks on campus.
- Goal 4: To foster a culture of consent and healthy relationships:
- KPI 7: Proportion of students who experienced sexual assault in the past 12 months while at USC.
- KPI 8: Proportion of students who reported upstanding behaviors.
Sample
The primary source of the data presented is derived from the Student Well-being Index Survey (SWIS) administered by USC Student Health annually. All registered USC students, both on-campus and online, over the age of 18 are invited to participate. The SWIS survey asks students about their attitudes and experiences related to well-being and measures seven KPIs. These KPIs include sense of belonging at USC, equity in the classroom and out of the classroom, flourishing, at-risk drinking, sexual assault, and upstanding behaviors. Because not all students participate in this survey, data are weighted to be representative of the USC student census population based on institutionally available data including sex, race/ethnicity, program type, campus location, and first generation to college. A statistical ranking procedure is used to perform this weighting.The most recent SWIS survey was conducted between March 1, 2023 – April 19, 2023 and the final response rate was 14.3% (survey n= 6,714). In previous years, the Healthy Minds Study has been used as a data source for these outcomes, and many of the measures were taken from that survey. Additional details on this survey are available in the baseline report linked at the bottom of this page.
The second data source comes from the AlcoholEdu Survey (as of May 12, 2021). AlcoholEdu is a research-based online alcohol education program designed to assist students in developing personal decision-making skills regarding alcohol use in college. All incoming first year and transfer undergraduate students are required to complete AlcoholEdu before the start of the semester and after six weeks upon their arrival. The AlcoholEdu Survey is used to measure the Key Performance Indicator for at-risk drinking among incoming undergraduate students in their six weeks on campus.
Interpreting Confidence Intervals
Because data were not collected from all students with the SWIS survey, there is uncertainty about the true value for the student population as a whole. The point estimate (i.e., the single percent reported, as in 43.8% of all students reported belonging at USC in Spring 2023) is our best estimate for the broader student population. The 95% confidence interval (95% CI) represents the range that likely contains the true value for our student population. When confidence intervals do not overlap (for example, the 95% CI for students reporting belonging at USC in Spring 2022 was 35.0 – 38.3%, relative to 42.6 – 45.1% for Spring 2023), we can interpret this to mean that there was a change in this outcome over time. Confidence intervals are also included for the KPI on at-risk drinking among incoming undergraduates because data are missing from some students.
Measures
| KPI 1: Positive Sense of Belonging | Our metric for belonging was adapted from the Healthy Minds Network Survey.1 Students were asked: Based on your experience in the past 12 months, please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements: 1. I feel valued as an individual at USC.2. I feel I belong at USC.3. I have considered leaving USC because I felt isolated or unwelcomed. (reversed coded) 4. USC is a place where I am able to perform up to my full potential.5. I have found one or more communities or groups where I feel I belong at USC. Students were asked to rate their disagreement or agreement with these statements on a scale from (1) ‘strongly disagree’ to (5) ‘strongly agree’. Students with a score of at least 20 out of 25 points on these items, corresponding to an average of 4 or ‘agree’, were classified as experiencing belonging at USC. |
| KPI 2: Equity in the Classroom | Our metric for perceived fairness and equity in the classroom was developed by The Healthy Minds Network.1 Students were asked: Based on your experience in the past 12 months, please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement: I am treated fairly and equitably in classrooms and classroom settings (e.g., labs, recital sessions, clinical environments, online zoom classes, etc.). Students were asked to rate their disagreement or agreement with the statement on a scale from (1) ‘strongly disagree’ to (5) ‘strongly agree’. Responses of 4 (‘agree’) and 5 (‘strongly agree’) were classified as experiencing equity in the classroom |
| KPI 3: Equity out of the Classroom | Our metric for perceived fairness and equity out of the classroom was developed by The Healthy Minds Network.1 Students were asked: Based on your experience in the past 12 months, please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement: I am treated fairly and equitably in out-of-classroom university spaces (e.g., workshops, co-curricular offerings, advising sessions, orientation and residency weeks, etc.). Students were asked to rate their disagreement or agreement with the statement on a scale from (1) ‘strongly disagree’ to (5) ‘strongly agree’. Responses of 4 (‘agree’) and 5 (‘strongly agree’) were classified as experiencing equity out of the classroom |
| KPI 4: Flourishing | Our metric for flourishing was measured using the Diener Flourishing Scale, which includes 8 items. 2 Students were asked: Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements: 1. I lead a purposeful and meaningful life.2. My social relationships are supportive and rewarding.3. I am engaged and interested in my daily activities.4. I actively contribute to the happiness and well-being of others.5. I am competent and capable in the activities that are important to me.6. I am a good person and live a good life.7. I am optimistic about my future.8. People respect me. Students were asked to rate their disagreement or agreement with these statements on a scale from (1) ‘strongly disagree’ to (7) ‘strongly agree’. Students with a score of at least 48 out of 56 points on these items, corresponding to an average of 6 or ‘agree’, were classified as experiencing flourishing. |
| KPI 5: At-Risk Drinking (All Students) | Our metric for at-risk drinking for all students was developed utilizing thresholds from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 3 Students were asked: Over the past 2 weeks, about how many times did you have 4 or more alcoholic drinks in a row? Students who indicated having 4 or more drinks on one or more occasions were classified as engaging in at-risk drinking. *The methodology for the KPI on at-risk drinking was changed in 2022. Prior to 2022, at-risk drinking was defined as 4 or more drinks for women, 5 or more drinks for men, and 4 or 5 drinks for intersex individuals, based on sex assigned at birth. |
| KPI 6: At-Risk Drinking (Incoming Undergraduates) | The language for this question is specified by Vector Solutions, the vendor for AlcoholEdu and data are captured among incoming undergraduates after 6 weeks on campus. Students were first asked about sex assigned at birth, and if they had consumed any alcohol in the past year: For males:During the past two weeks, how many times have you had five or more drinks within a 2 hourperiod? For females:During the past two weeks, how many times have you had four or more drinks within a 2 hourperiod? Data on at-risk drinking were not collected on intersex individuals and individuals who declined to answer about their sex assigned at birth. Individuals who indicated having the given number of drinks at least once were classified as engaging in at-risk drinking. Thresholds used for at-risk drinking are consistent with those from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 3 |
| KPI 7: Experiences of Sexual Assault | Our metric for sexual assault was developed by The Healthy Minds Network.1 Students were asked: “In the past 12 months, have you experienced any unwanted sexual contact? Please count any experience of unwanted sexual contact, e.g., touching of your sexual body parts, oral sex, anal sex, sexual intercourse, and penetration of your vagina or anus with a finger or object that you did not consent to and did not want to happen regardless of where it happened.” Students who responded ‘Yes’ to this question were classified as experiencing sexual assault in the last 12 months while at USC. |
| KPI 8: Upstanding Behaviors | Our metric for upstanding behavior was developed by The Healthy Minds Network.1 Students were asked: In the past 12 months, I have intervened (by trying to help) in the following situations at USC (e.g., campus areas and USC online environments). (Select all that apply).Someone was drinking too much.Someone was at risk of being sexually assaulted.Someone was using hurtful language (e.g., bullying, sexist, racist, or homophobic comments).Someone was experiencing significant emotional distress or thoughts of suicide.There was a physical altercation/fight. If students endorse any one of these outcomes, they are classified as practicing upstanding behaviors. |
References:
- The Healthy Minds Network. The Healthy Minds Study Questionnaires. Updated August 7, 2023. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HFImff9nQzHnjAkqAjXS8FIHIPIYeMMD.
- Diener E, Wirtz D, Tov W, et al. New well-being measures: short scales to assess flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Soc Indic Res. 2010;97(2):143-156. doi:10.1007/s11205-009-9493-y.
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Drinking levels defined. Updated 2023. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/moderate-binge-drinking.
Please refer to our comprehensive report on the development of our Key Performance Indicators: Student Well-being Key Performance Indicators Baseline Data Report