'We Are' campaign has impact on students' perceptions, behaviors

University Park, Pa. -- "We are Penn State" has become a mantra, a declaration of pride for the Penn State community, but amid concerns about cases of sexual and physical assault, racial tensions and other negative exchanges reported during the 2003-04 school year, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) felt the community needed to reassess what was implied within those four words.

With the goal of addressing concerns about civility and respect within the Penn State community, then-USG President Ian Rosenberger and his staff launched the "We Are" campaign in spring 2004. The campaign was designed to challenge students, staff, faculty and community members to reassess their attitudes and behaviors in order to create a more hospitable and civil community.

With the support of University and community leaders and after conducting focus groups to help refine their message, USG rolled out the first part of its campaign on March 15: a "negative wave" of posters posing blunt, provocative questions meant to evoke some serious self-inquiry. Posters and ads appeared around campus and downtown State College and in various news media asking four primary questions: "Are you a bigot?"; "Are you a coward?"; "Are you rude?"; and "Are you ugly?" Secondary inquiries on each poster or ad further clarified each primary question by asking things such as "Do you laugh at racists jokes?" and "Do you speak up for people who can’t defend themselves?"

"Ian Rosenberger and other USG leaders who created this campaign were confident that provocative messages were required to arouse an intense level of personal reflection and to spark real conversation," says Philip Burlingame, assistant vice president for student affairs and an administrative adviser to the "We Are" committee. "The student organizers were successful in generating a strong reaction from many students with the initial phase of the 'We Are' campaign, but they also knew this would only be the beginning of the process of improving civility within the Penn State community."

The "negative wave" did create a buzz on campus, as students and faculty started to discuss the campaign's implications and goals, thus paving the way for the next stage of the process unveiled the week of April 12: a "positive wave" of posters and ads, urging people to "Be bold!"; "Be genuine!"; "Be inspired!"; and "Be open-minded!" Secondary statements like "Show compassion" and "Respect others' opinions" further emphasized the campaign's goal of reviving a sense of compassion and courtesy.

"The positive wave of the campaign mirrors the negative wave by giving positive solutions to negative thoughts and behaviors," explains Missi Lau, co-chair of the campaign. "These messages not only make Penn State community members think about their thoughts and actions, but provide inspirational solutions to empower the community to make positive changes."

A new Penn State Pulse survey reporting on perceptions related to the "We Are" campaign was recently made available online at http://www.sa.psu.edu/sara/pulse.shtml

A follow-up to a November 2003 Pulse survey that asked students to define civility within the campus climate (also available on the Pulse Web site), this more recent survey conducted in April 2004 was designed to measure students' awareness and perceptions of the "We Are" campaign. More than 70 percent of the respondents reported being aware of the campaign, citing the posters as the most effective of the mediums used to communicate messages. While some segments of the respondents were skeptical of the impact the campaign would have, 75.3 percent reported strongly believing that the purpose of the campaign was important, with more than 55 percent indicating that the campaign influenced them to change their behaviors in at least one of the areas targeted.

As supportive data, the survey also collected students' general perceptions of campus climate. Almost three-quarters of students reported they are treated with respect at Penn State, and more than 93 percent reported treating others in a courteous and civil manner.

The "We Are" committee is hoping the campaign will lead to a legacy at Penn State. The committee reports that the campaign was designed to occur in several installments and not just to end after these two "waves" were set in motion. They hope to further develop the program to include the Commonwealth Campuses and more diverse members of the community. Expanding the list of media outlets advertising the messages and engaging the community through related events are also planned for the future.

To learn more about the “We Are” campaign, visit http://www.changingpsu.psu.edu/