Assessing the culture around systemic change in physics programs: A pilot study from 33 programs in the United States

A major challenge for departmental change efforts is a lack of reliable tools to consistently and accurately monitor progress.Without such tools, identifying challenges in the change process and adjusting strategies accordingly is difficult.This paper presents results from a pilot administration of the Culture around Systemic Change Survey (CSCS), a tool developed to help physics departments assess and improve their local culture.The instrument captures faculty and staff perceptions of both their department's "current" and "ideal" states across five factors: open mindedness, student involvement, collective use of evidence, sustainability, and disrupting systemic injustices.Data from N = 111 participants across 33 departments show significantly higher ratings for current departmental open mindedness and collective use of evidence compared to other factors.Across all factors, significant gaps exist between current and ideal states.These findings offer actionable insights for change leaders seeking to build more inclusive and sustainable cultures in their departments.