COACHE Faculty Satisfaction Survey Results
Dear Colleagues,
Earlier this year, you were invited to participate in the COACHE Faculty Satisfaction Survey designed and administered by Harvard University to help assess areas at Baylor that impact faculty satisfaction, such as research, service, teaching, facilities, resources, policies, benefits, collaborative work, mentoring, tenure and promotion, leadership, institutional governance, shared governance, collegiality, and recognition. We want to say “thank you.” Baylor faculty responded in incredible numbers. In fact 63 percent of eligible faculty responded to the survey. Our response rate is approximately 21.8 percent higher than our peers across the nation.
Provost Nancy Brickhouse has received a Report Preview from Harvard, and after sharing it with Baylor’s Task Force on Faculty Job Satisfaction she has asked the Task Force to share it with all faculty. This preview report, and others that will arrive after the first of the year, will serve as the basis of our next steps – evaluation – conversation – prioritization – plan development – plan implementation – assessment of progress. You may download the Report Preview in its entirety from the COACHE web page.
As a preview, the report indicates that we have much to celebrate. You were forthright in your responses and provided insight into areas where Baylor is being successful and areas of needed development. Generally, Baylor faculty are more satisfied than their peers, they believe they have strong departmental collegiality and quality, and they value the Christian mission of the institution. Faculty derive great satisfaction from teaching, research, and service. Yet, we have room for future development. In particular, faculty noted four areas of concern:
- Decision-making processes across all levels
- Mid-career uncertainty
- Experiences of underrepresented minority faculty
- Barriers to Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching
As you read the Report Preview, you may identify additional areas of needed development. We would like to hear from you and have placed a feedback form on the website that can be submitted to the Task Force anonymously or with a request to discuss comments with a task force member.
You may be wondering, “What’s next?” Our approach to these areas of concern is threefold. First, the Task Force will engage in University-wide discussions that acknowledge faculty concerns and propose initiatives for addressing those concerns. Second, the Provost will work with the Deans to establish division-level teams for tackling college-specific concerns. Last, and perhaps most important, the Task Force will work with Department Chairs to identify ways to cultivate an environment that is open and responsive to faculty concerns. For many faculty members, the Baylor experience is defined by their departmental experience. Thus, any changes that emerge from the Task Force’s work must be embraced at the departmental level to achieve the University’s goal of greater faculty satisfaction and efficacy.
The Task Force will serve as a resource to departments to provide tools to guide you in conversations and help interpret data when possible. Please engage in these discussions as you have the opportunity. Improving faculty satisfaction at Baylor is a team effort. There is no single solution, but by working together we can develop an even stronger Baylor where faculty thrive as they contribute to the Christian mission of the University.
Thank you again for your feedback and for embracing this opportunity to create positive change.
Sincerely,
Jason MacGregor, Ph.D., and Lenore Wright, Ph.D.
Co-Chairs, Task Force on Faculty Job Satisfaction