Campus climate predicts interfaith learning, safe spaces and challenge matter in UK surveys

By Student Voice AI

Updated Feb 23, 2026

At Student Voice AI, we work with universities that want to act on student voice in ways that are practical and measurable. Campus climate is a good example: it can sound abstract, but it quickly becomes concrete in what students say about safety, inclusion, and whether they feel able to be themselves. In a recent paper in Higher Education, Kristin Aune, Lucy Peacock, Alyssa N. Rockenbach, Mathew Guest and Matthew J. Mayhew analyse how the UK university environment shapes students’ interfaith learning over time. Read the paper here.

Context and research question

UK institutions often want to support students to engage positively across difference, including religion and belief. But it is easy to default to programme activity, while missing the broader conditions that determine whether students feel safe to participate.

Aune and colleagues focus on interfaith learning as a student outcome, and use a measure they call pluralism, students’ positive engagement with religion and worldview difference. Their central question is: which aspects of campus climate help pluralism grow during students’ time at university, and which aspects undermine it?

Methodologically, the study draws on a longitudinal survey of 1,000 UK university students, surveyed twice during their studies in 2021 and 2022, then uses statistical analysis to examine what predicts change over time.

Key findings

The headline finding is that pluralism does not change at random. It shifts alongside students’ perceptions of campus climate, which makes it a meaningful target for student experience work rather than a fixed personal attribute.

First, the authors find that pluralism tends to increase when students experience their campus as both diverse and usable, not only diverse on paper. That includes whether students see religion and belief difference around them, and whether they feel there are safe spaces for spiritual expression.

Second, the study argues that growth is linked to what it calls provocative encounters, moments that challenge assumptions and prompt reflection, when students are supported to engage rather than withdraw.

"Increases in pluralism are shaped by the perception of a religiously diverse campus, safe spaces for spiritual expression, and provocative encounters."

Finally, the analysis points to a risk signal: students who experience religion or worldview-related insensitivity or coercion are more likely to decline in pluralism. In practice, that suggests that the same institution can create growth for some students while creating retreat for others, depending on what “safety” feels like day to day.

Practical implications for UK higher education

For Student Experience teams, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, and Market Insights professionals, the useful message is that campus climate can be operationalised through student voice data, then improved deliberately.

Measure campus climate with targeted open-text prompts. Add one or two prompts to your student surveys or module evaluations, such as “When have you felt able to express your religion or beliefs on campus?” and “What makes interfaith conversations feel safe or unsafe here?”.
Treat insensitivity and coercion as experience signals, not isolated incidents. Make it easy for students to describe what happened, where, and how it affected them. You will often see patterns in processes and spaces, not only in individuals.
Segment results by cohort and context. Campus climate is rarely uniform. Break down open-text by programme, campus, accommodation status, and relevant demographics so you can distinguish “we have an issue” from “a specific group is carrying extra risk”.
Design for constructive challenge, not only comfort. The paper highlights the value of encounters that challenge assumptions, but only when students feel supported. That points to facilitated dialogue, clear expectations for respectful discussion, and staff confidence in handling tension in learning spaces.
Use text analysis to monitor trends at scale. Student Voice Analytics is designed to categorise and benchmark free-text comments, which helps you track themes like belonging, safety, and inclusion over time, and check whether improvement work is reaching the students it is intended to support.

FAQ

Q: How can universities measure religion and belief inclusion through student feedback?

A: Use a combination of a short scale question (for example, “I feel able to express my religion or beliefs at university”) and one targeted open-text prompt that asks for examples. The open-text is essential, because it surfaces where inclusion is shaped: specific spaces, interactions, processes, or norms. Track themes over time and segment by cohort so you can see whether improvements are evenly distributed.

Q: What should we watch out for when using survey findings like these in decision-making?

A: This study uses statistical analysis on a longitudinal survey, which is strong for identifying associations over time, but it does not replace local diagnosis. Treat findings as a structured set of hypotheses, then test them in your own context using student voice data, including open-text comments, focus groups, and operational indicators (for example, take-up of support and reporting routes).

Q: What does this mean for student voice work beyond religion and belief?

A: It reinforces a general lesson: climate is often what determines whether students can take part, not just what they think in private. Students are more likely to engage across difference when they feel safe, when respectful norms are real, and when the institution responds to harm consistently. Those conditions are most visible in narrative feedback, which is why open-text analysis is so useful for turning “culture” into something you can act on.

References

[Paper Source]: Kristin Aune, Lucy Peacock, Alyssa N. Rockenbach, Mathew Guest, Matthew J. Mayhew "How can universities support students’ interfaith learning? Findings from a longitudinal survey of students in the UK" DOI: 10.1007/s10734-025-01533-w

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