The results of ɬ’s 2024 Engagement and Well-Being Survey were announced this week, revealing both positive findings and areas for improvement. The majority of respondents reported feeling comfortable at the university, while first-generation students expressed a strong sense of belonging.
In spring 2024, ɬ contracted with Rankin Climate, LLC, to conduct a university-wide survey that was administered in fall 2024. All members of ɬ’s community were encouraged to complete the Engagement and Well-Being Survey, which consisted of 113 questions, including 12 open-ended questions aimed at soliciting respondents’ commentary. This report summarizes the key findings of data collected through the survey.
“The results of the survey indicate that ɬ has much to celebrate,” said Amoaba Gooden, Ph.D., vice president of the Division of People, Culture and Belonging and a chair of the ɬ Climate Study Working Group. “At the same time, the Engagement and Well-Being Survey highlights the important work that lies ahead to ensure every member of our community experiences a genuine and lasting sense of belonging. I look forward to working with the Implementation Team as they help guide meaningful institutional transformation, advancing student success and driving progress in the critical areas of well-being and belonging for all members of our ɬ community.”
Kathy Wilson, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Economics in The Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship and Eboni Pringle, Ph.D., senior vice president of the Division of Student Life, also chaired the working group.
A total of 4,889 ɬ students, staff and faculty completed the survey, resulting in an overall response rate of 14%. Of the respondents, 50% were undergraduate students, 8% were graduate/professional students, 14% were faculty and 27% were staff. The survey posed questions regarding respondents’ level of comfort with the ɬ campus climate.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the survey:
General Comfort with Climate at ɬ
Most respondents, especially students, expressed comfort with the overall climate at ɬ.
Students and faculty felt particularly comfortable with the climate in classes.
Positive Experiences for Grad/Prof Students
Graduate students consistently highlighted ɬ’s strength in fostering positive advising and departmental communication experiences.
Workplace Flexibility and Support
Staff data highlighted ɬ’s strength regarding supervisors’ support for work-life balance and flexibility in scheduling.
Competitive benefits, opportunities to engage in wellness programs, and clearly defined responsibilities also emerged as strengths.
Clarities in Policies and Academic Freedom
Tenured/tenure-track faculty noted the clarity of ɬ’s tenure criteria, while the majority of non-tenure-track Faculty perceived clear expectations for contract renewal.
Faculty commonly perceived ɬ as valuing academic freedom.
Disparities in Sense of Belonging
Sense of belonging varied, with lower levels among some marginalized groups.
Differences in Mental Health and Resilience
Students reported lower mental health scores than faculty and staff, with greater challenges among marginalized groups.
Certain student populations showed lower resilience, emphasizing the need for stronger support initiatives.
Workplace Inequities and Career Advancement Challenges
Faculty and Staff raised issues about workload inequities, recognition and career advancement.
Salary competitiveness was a key issue.
Exclusionary Conduct and Harassment
Nineteen percent of respondents indicated that they experienced exclusionary conduct in the past year, with Faculty and Staff being the most affected groups.
Across all groups, supplemental analyses revealed that respondents with disabilities were particularly susceptible to such conduct.
Retention Threats
Over one-third of respondents, including 55% of Faculty respondents and 60% of Staff respondents, seriously considered leaving ɬ.
The confidential survey was constructed based on Rankin Climate’s prior work at ɬ and in collaboration with students, staff and faculty in the ɬ Climate Study Working Group.
The survey results are important in that they will help shape ɬ’s Strategic Initiatives. Substantive change has been a byproduct of previous Engagement and Well-Being Surveys, including the creation of the CARES Center, the ɬ Staff Council, Flashes 101 aԻ Flexible Working Arrangements.
A team will work with Rankin to develop and implement a strategic action plan, track its progress and measure its success.
“We’re counting on you all,” Wilson said. “That in your unit, your college and on campus, you are doing the work internally as well.”
Go to /voices/2024-survey-results to see the final report and presentation of the Engagement and Well-Being Survey results.