University of Cincinnati
PA-13: Assessing Employee Satisfaction

To better understand the needs of our faculty, the University of Cincinnati (UC) has partnered with Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). For more than 10 years, COACHE has worked with more than 250 academic institutions to survey faculty and identify themes associated with faculty satisfaction. UC faculty completed the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey in the Spring of 2018, and then again during the spring 2022 semester.

However, the COACHE survey does not gather information from adjunct faculty or non-academic staff. In spring 2020, UC launched a campus-wide UC Community Experience Survey, and in October 2022, the survey was re-administered. The survey is part of ongoing implementation of UC's Strategic Plan, "Next Lives Here," which among other things focuses on Inclusive Excellence, Faculty Investment, and Staff Enrichment. The survey, which was reviewed by the IRB to ensure it aligns with all best practices for respecting anonymity, was distributed widely and promoted heavily by department heads across campus to ensure a representative sample. It includes measures that specifically focus on Job Satisfaction, Engagement, and Growth for all employees, including adjunct faculty and non-academic staff who have not previously been surveyed as part of COACHE. Specifically, it focuses on the degree to which staff are happy with their current job, compensation, skill development, and career path, and offers employees the opportunity to rank the most important problems that need to be addressed at the university.

Results from the 2018 COACHE survey presented three areas of strength and three areas for development. Strengths: 1) departmental collegiality, 2) faculty leadership, and 3) tenure policies. Areas for development: 1) departmental leadership, 2) interdisciplinary work, and 3) mentoring. During the spring 2019 semester, through a peer and self-nominated process, six working groups were formed that corresponded to our three areas of strength and three areas for development. These groups reviewed the COACHE quantitative and qualitative data in detail, conducted follow up interviews, and bench marked practices at our peer institutions to create a set of recommendations that were presented to Provost Nelson, Vice Provost Serra, and the COACHE Executive Team in May 2019.

Informed by faculty input through the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey, and UC Women Lead's 2019 faculty project, the Office of the Provost is implementing new strategic initiatives to support faculty in teaching, research and service. These efforts focus on Leadership Development, Mentoring, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, and Collegiality.

Results from the original UC Community Experience Survey were likewise used to develop new employee investment programs. As noted above, the Community Experience Survey was re-administered during October 2022. High-level, quantitative aggregate results are currently being analyzed for all students, faculty, and staff. Results and a qualitative evaluation will be posted on the Bearcats Landing intranet as soon as they are available. Pathway leaders also plan on presenting the results, and subsequent action plans, to constituent groups over the 2023 summer and fall semesters.

Information about the response rate for the UC Community Experience Survey, most recently administered in fall 2022, included in the file attached above.

For more information about the COACHE program, see https://coache.gse.harvard.edu/