UA makes available a feedback and anonymous reporting platform for athletes

RealResponse, a feedback and anonymous reporting platform for athletic organizations, announced a partnership Monday (Dec. 6) with the University of Arkansas. The partnership gives Razorback athletes a way to communicate with their administration confidentially and in real time.

“We pride ourselves on creating a first class experience for all Arkansas student-athletes and in order to fulfill this mission, we must be connected to their pulse,” UA deputy athletics director Jon Fagg said in a statement. “As our industry continues to evolve and further prioritize the voice of the student-athlete, RealResponse will enable our administration to be responsive to the real-time needs within every Razorback program.”

The UA joins more than 100,000 NCAA Division I student-athletes using RealResponse to share feedback with coaches and administrators. Athletes can use the platform to anonymously report issues surrounding social injustice, COVID-19 policy infractions, misconduct, hazing, sexual harassment and more.

RealResponse, which is based in North Carolina, announced partnerships with the UA, Boise State, North Carolina A&T, the University of California-Davis and the University of San Diego on Monday. That brings the number of partnerships to well over 100 colleges and universities across all collegiate divisions.

“The expansion and engagement for our diverse offerings continues to rise as more and more schools and partner institutions see RealResponse as a necessity not just for students and athletes, but for coaches and parents who care about the well-being of athletes,” RealResponse founder David Chadwick said in a statement. Chadwick is a former Division I basketball player. “In just over one year, our work has gone from being an added value service to a must- have, and we will continue to work with our partners to enhance our platform.”

According to its website, RealResponse’s platform offers three tools: a survey tool for athletes to share feedback and rate their schools, a benchmark tool to compare metrics to peer and national averages, and an anonymous real-time reporting tool for athletes to report concerns anonymously in real time. Using the platform’s documentation hub, key personnel can securely store and track sensitive information.

The Associated Press reported in October that RealResponse’s customers are mainly university athletic departments and other sports organizations including USA Gymnastics, the NFL Players Association and the National Women’s Soccer League.