During the 2023–24 academic year, Lewis & Clark College initiated a comprehensive review of its “Pioneer” mascot through Community Dialogues and a college-wide survey. This initiative aimed to foster open discussions and gather broad feedback from students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and trustees across all three campuses regarding the mascot’s role and appropriateness for the institution today.
Community Dialogues: Understanding Diverse Perspectives on the Pioneer Mascot
Comprehensive Mascot Survey: Gathering Quantitative and Qualitative Data
To further understand community sentiment, the Mascot Steering Committee designed and distributed an online survey. This survey aimed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from students, faculty, staff, and alumni across all Lewis & Clark campuses. The survey was structured into five sections to comprehensively assess opinions on the Pioneer mascot.
Section 1 presented thirteen statements related to the suitability of the Pioneer mascot, using a five-point Likert scale for responses. These statements were balanced, with six framed to support the current mascot, six opposing it, and one neutral statement. Section 2 focused on a central evaluative statement: “The ‘Pioneer’ is an appropriate mascot for Lewis & Clark College today,” also using a five-point Likert scale. Section 3 asked participants to identify what they perceived as the three most important values of Lewis & Clark College. Section 4 provided an open-ended text box for additional comments on the mascot issue, with a limit of 1500 characters. Finally, Section 5 collected demographic information relevant to the Lewis & Clark community.
The survey about the Pioneer mascot was launched on January 17, 2024, distributed via email to current students, faculty, staff, and alumni with active emails in the college’s database. To ensure broad participation, the survey remained open for three weeks, with email reminders sent before its closure on February 7, 2024. Out of 28,759 individuals invited, a total of 7,044 responses were received, resulting in a 24.5 percent overall response rate, considered typical and acceptable for this type of survey in academic research.
Mascot Survey Response Rate by Demographic Group
| L&C Affiliation | Count Invited | Count Responded | Rate Response | Percentage of Total Respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Students | 3,550 | 1,570 | 44.2% | 22.3% |
| CAS Students | 2,156 | 1,061 | 49.2% | 15.1% |
| GSEC Students | 714 | 248 | 34.7% | 3.5% |
| Law Students | 680 | 261 | 38.4% | 3.7% |
| Faculty or Staff | 960 | 513 | 53.4% | 7.3% |
| Alumni | 24,249 | 4,961 | 20.5% | 70.4% |
| Total | 28,759 | 7,044 | 24.5% | 100% |
The design and content of this survey benefited from the experiences and resources shared by peer institutions that had previously conducted their own mascot evaluations.
Key Quantitative Findings: Perceptions of the Pioneer Mascot
The quantitative data analysis provided critical insights into perceptions of the Pioneer mascot. Key findings emerged from responses to specific statements within the survey.
Statement: “The ‘Pioneer’ is an appropriate mascot for Lewis & Clark College today.” A significant majority of student respondents, 66 percent, disagreed with this statement, with only 18 percent agreeing. Overall, only 38 percent of all respondents found the Pioneer mascot appropriate. Even among alumni, the group with the strongest affinity for the mascot, less than half (45 percent) agreed with its current appropriateness.
Survey Results – Central Statement: The “Pioneer” is an appropriate mascot for Lewis & Clark College today.
| Group | Disagree | Agree | Undecided / No Opinion | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 41% | 38% | 22% | 7035 |
| Current Students | 66% | 18% | 16% | 1569 |
| Faculty or Staff | 48% | 28% | 24% | 512 |
| Alumni | 32% | 45% | 23% | 4954 |
Statement: “The name ‘Pioneers’ could be offensive to some people.” A clear majority of 61 percent of all survey participants agreed that the name “Pioneers” could be offensive. This sentiment was even stronger among students (79 percent) and faculty/staff (74 percent), while a smaller majority of alumni (53 percent) also concurred.
Statement: “Lewis & Clark does not use depictions of pioneers in its logos, imagery, and branding. We should have a mascot that we are comfortable representing.” A substantial 70 percent of all respondents agreed with the idea that the college should have a mascot it is comfortable representing visually, given the current lack of pioneer imagery in official branding. This agreement was particularly high among students (85 percent) and faculty/staff (76 percent), with alumni also in majority agreement at 64 percent.
Statement: “It is important for the college to have a mascot that current students are proud of.” An overwhelming majority of 78 percent of all respondents emphasized the importance of a mascot that current students can take pride in. This view was consistently high across all groups, with 89 percent of students, 82 percent of faculty/staff, and 74 percent of alumni agreeing. The quantitative data suggests that the Pioneer mascot does not currently fulfill key desired functions of a Lewis & Clark mascot, particularly in terms of visual representation and student pride.
Qualitative Insights: Values and Open-Ended Comments on the Pioneer Mascot
Values
Respondents were asked to identify the three most prominent values of Lewis & Clark College. The most frequent responses were visualized in a word cloud, highlighting the most commonly held values. The top ten values identified were: community, inclusive, exploration, diversity, curiosity, integrity, quality education, innovation, global, and social justice.
Open-ended comments
In addition to quantitative responses, the survey provided an opportunity for open-ended comments regarding individual perspectives on the mascot. A significant 3,115 participants (44% of total survey participants) offered thoughtful responses, totaling over 220,000 words. Themes that emerged from these comments, both for retaining and changing the mascot, included:
Arguments for Retaining the Pioneer Mascot:
- The mascot embodies the “pioneering spirit,” pursuit of knowledge, and global engagement, considered core values of Lewis & Clark College.
- Recontextualizing the Pioneer mascot to emphasize its positive connotations could be an effective approach.
- The mascot is deeply rooted in the college’s history and tradition, with many community members expressing pride in being a Pioneer.
Arguments for Changing the Pioneer Mascot:
- The current mascot is perceived as a barrier to attracting and retaining a diverse and inclusive student body, staff, and faculty.
- The Pioneer mascot’s association with settler colonialism and the oppression of Indigenous peoples renders it inappropriate for the college.
- The mascot fails to generate school spirit, and many community members feel uncomfortable promoting or identifying with it.
- A more inclusive and unifying mascot would better represent the college’s values.
In conclusion, the feedback gathered through Community Dialogues and the comprehensive survey reveals a college community with diverse perspectives on its Pioneer mascot. While some associate the mascot with positive values and tradition, significant concerns exist, particularly among students and faculty, regarding its appropriateness, inclusiveness, and representation of the college’s values in the present day.
