Project Lead

Dr. Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D.
Vice President for Inclusion and Equity, Grand Valley State University
Office Address: 4035 JHZ
Phone: (616) 331-3296
Email: [email protected]

B.A., Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA)
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D. is Vice President for the Division of Inclusion and Equity at Grand Valley State University. Dr. Bernal joined Grand Valley in February and oversees the university’s coordinated efforts to advance diversity and campus climate. Previously, Dr. Bernal coordinated systemwide diversity and inclusion initiatives for 10 campuses and five medical centers at the University of California as systemwide Diversity Coordinator at the Office of the President, where he also served as co-PI for the University's 2013 campus climate assessment, thought to be the largest assessment of its kind in higher education. He has also served as a consultant on numerous organizational climate assessment projects at other institutions, and presented nationally on "Best Practices in Action-Oriented Campus Climate Assessments. His current active research focuses on inclusive hiring practices for faculty and staff in higher education and campus climate for Latino and LGBT undergraduates.

Independent Data Analyst

Dr. Amber Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Child Development
College of Education
Sacramento State University
Email: [email protected]

B.A., California State University, Fullerton
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Areas of Research/Scholarly Activity: Latinas and Latinos in Higher Education; Graduate Education; College Persistence and Success; Student Perceptions and Outcomes; Campus Climate; Intersectionalities of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in Education

Dr. Amber M. Gonzalez is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at California State University Sacramento (CSUS). Her research examines student perceptions of institutional characteristics and how those perceptions influence academic, professional, and personal outcomes through the P20 educational pipeline. She has also worked closely with educators, administrators, parents, community agencies, policy-makers, and experts to develop and implement qualitative and quantitative research projects covering a variety of topics related to education, institutional climate, health and human services, immigration, labor, and work force development. Her qualitative methodological skills include grounded theory and consensual qualitative research.  Her quantitative methodological skills include descriptive and inferential analysis (ANOVA, MANOVA, and Regression), factor analysis, latent class analysis, latent transition analysis, and structural equation modeling. In 2013, Dr. Gonzalez served as a member of the University of California Campus Climate Survey Project, and is expertly acquainted with the research instrument, project process, and conceptual framework adopted by GVSU in 2011, since both institutions utilized Rankin and Associates as a primary consultant (see https://campusclimate.ucop.edu/).

The Division of Inclusion and Equity has contracted with Dr. Gonzalez as an independent data analyst to conduct high-level data analysis and reporting of results on key indicators. Dr. Gonzalez will provide the University with a written summary report of data findings present initial findings to the campus in Winter 2016.

Survey Design & Administration Vendor

Amplitude Search, Inc.
www.amplituderesearch.com
 

Founded in 2002, Amplitude Research® is one of the top mail, telephone and online survey companies serving clients throughout the United States, Canada, South America, and Asia, with a diverse Client List, which includes commercial, educational and governmental survey projects for companies ranging in size from global Fortune 100 companies to regional organizations. For this project, the Division of Inclusion and Equity has contracted with Amplitude Research, Inc. to program the online survey, host the survey, distribute the survey via email, and manage the email list. Survey distribution will comply with applicable online best practice guidelines such as the CAN-SPAM Act, maintenance of an unsubscribe link, compilation of a file of hard bounce backs, and full technical support for survey participants. The consultant will also monitor data collection to provide updates of survey completion rates.