MU-ADVANCE Faculty Survey III:

Climate, culture, collegiality, and overall job satisfaction at Marshall

 

This is the third and final news item highlighting responses from faculty regarding climate, culture, collegiality, and overall job satisfaction at Marshall University. These data have been compared to results from the 2007 Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) survey on tenure-track faculty job satisfaction, which includes more than 6,000 responses from university faculty.

Climate, culture, and collegiality:
Marshall faculty survey respondents strongly agreed that overall, they are treated fairly within their departments and that their colleges are good places to work. Faculty also gave high ratings for their interaction with colleagues. The amount of input they have on policy decisions within their colleges received the lowest ratings. There were no significant differences when comparing the responses either by gender or rank. See Tables 1a and 1b for MU-ADVANCE survey results.

Global job satisfaction:
Overall, women in the STEM disciplines ranked their departments at Marshall a better place to work than men did. Assistant professors also gave higher ratings to their departments, compared to associate and full professors. Marshall faculty gave high ranks to their fit within their colleges and at the university. However, Marshall faculty consistently felt that morale is low.

When ranking Marshall as a campus free of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination the ratings were low from assistant professors. Compared to associate and full professors, assistant professors also ranked Marshall lower in terms of their fit within their colleges and their ability to provide input. See Tables 2a and 2b for MU-ADVANCE survey results.

COACHE:
The COACHE survey reported that faculty felt they were treated fairly by their immediate supervisors. Women were less satisfied than men with their immediate supervisors and their opportunities to collaborate. Junior faculty were generally less satisfied than their colleagues for most issues of climate and collegiality. As also found by the Marshall survey, junior faculty had a reduced sense of fit. The COACHE global satisfaction analysis reported that women felt a reduced sense of fit, while male faculty were less satisfied than female faculty with the amount of professional and personal interaction with their colleagues. However, as with Marshall faculty, faculty at 4-year institutions reported being generally satisfied with their work. Unlike our results at Marshall, the COACHE survey reports that female faculty were less positive about their institutions as a good place to work compared to their male colleagues.

Reference:
The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). 2007. Tenure-track faculty job satisfaction survey highlights report. 27p

Table 1a: Climate-culture-collegiality evaluation, by gender, for STEM departments (all departments within the College of Science and the College of Information Technology and Engineering; the Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Geography Departments in the College of Liberal Arts; and the Departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Genetics, Pharmacology, and Physiology in the School of Medicine). Scale: 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. N = 93; ** = significance of P < 0.05; * = P < 0.1.

Survey question

Mean (Female)

Mean (Male)

Faculty members within my department are treated fairly regardless of their disability.

3.78*

3.52

Faculty members within my department are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation.

3.60

3.44

Faculty members within my department are treated fairly regardless of their race or ethnicity.

3.59

3.43

The administration within my department treats me fairly.

3.52

3.18

Within my department, my colleagues treat me with respect.

3.43

3.26

Within my department, I feel that I have good relationships with my co-workers.

3.40

3.19

Faculty members within my department are treated fairly regardless of their gender.

3.30

3.41

Faculty members within my department are usually promoted or given opportunities based on good performance.

3.25

2.98

Within my college, I feel that I am treated with respect by other faculty members.

3.17

3.08

My annual performance review is based on how well I perform my job.

3.14

2.93

Within my department, my colleagues value my field or area of study.

3.13

3.06

I feel that I interact socially with colleagues from Marshall.

3.07

2.88

Within my department, my colleagues provide me helpful advice on career issues.

3.07

2.88

My department rewards collaboration.

2.97

2.90

Faculty members within my department receive accurate and timely information about their progress toward tenure or promotion.

2.96

2.95

Within my department, I feel that I interact socially with colleagues.

2.86

2.81

Within my department, I feel that I would like more interaction socially with my colleagues.

2.61

2.63

Within my college, I feel that I am satisfied with the amount of input that I have about major policy decisions.

2.28

2.43

Table 1b: Climate-culture-collegiality evaluation, by rank, for STEM departments.  Scale: 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. N = 95; ** = significance of P < 0.05; * = P < 0.1.

Survey question

Mean (Assistant)

Mean (Associate)

Mean (Full)

Faculty members within my department are treated fairly regardless of their disability.

3.64

3.39

3.60

Faculty members within my department are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation.

3.53

3.15

3.56

Faculty members within my department are treated fairly regardless of their race or ethnicity.

3.36

3.41

3.53

The administration within my department treats me fairly.

3.20

3.24

3.31

Within my department, my colleagues treat me with respect.

3.24

3.20

3.38

Within my department, I feel that I have good relationships with my co-workers.

3.13

3.33

3.25

Faculty members within my department are treated fairly regardless of their gender.

3.21

3.21

3.44

Faculty members within my department are usually promoted or given opportunities based on good performance.

2.90

2.93

3.28

Within my college, I feel that I am treated with respect by other faculty members.

2.84

3.10

3.17

My annual performance review is based on how well I perform my job.

2.91

2.78

3.15

Within my department, my colleagues value my field or area of study.

3.12

3.03

3.05

I feel that I interact socially with colleagues from Marshall.

2.92

3.11

2.83

Within my department, my colleagues provide me helpful advice on career issues.

3.08

2.74

2.93

My department rewards collaboration.

2.84

2.82

2.97

Faculty members within my department receive accurate and timely information about their progress toward tenure or promotion.

2.82

2.72

3.15

Within my department, I feel that I interact socially with colleagues.

2.72

2.93

2.70

Within my department, I feel that I would like more interaction socially with my colleagues.

2.64

2.64

2.62

Within my college, I feel that I am satisfied with the amount of input that I have about major policy decisions.

2.56

2.33

2.38

Table 2a: Global climate evaluation, by gender, for STEM departments (all departments within the College of Science and the College of Information Technology and Engineering; the Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Geography Departments in the College of Liberal Arts; and the Departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Genetics, Pharmacology, and Physiology in the School of Medicine). Scale: 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree). N = 93; ** = significance of P < 0.05; * = P < 0.1.

Survey question

Mean (Female)

Mean (Male)

My department is a good place to work.

3.56**

3.11

I think that Marshall University is a good place to work.

3.14

3.00

Within my college, I feel that it is a good place to work.

2.93

2.88

I feel that I “fit in” here at Marshall.

3.00

2.83

I think that Marshall University is where I am treated with respect.

2.97

2.86

I feel that I have a good quality of life in the geographic region of Marshall.

2.93

2.95

Within my college, I feel that I “fit in”.

2.89

2.92

I think that Marshall University has a campus free of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination.

2.86

3.03

I think that Marshall University welcomes open input from me.

2.79

2.67

I think that Marshall University is where the overall morale among faculty members is good.

2.18

2.22

Within my college, I feel that overall morale among faculty members is good.

1.96

2.21

 Table 2b: Global climate evaluation, by rank, for STEM departments.  Scale: 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. N = 95; ** = significance of P < 0.05; * = P < 0.1.

Survey question

Mean (Assistant)

Mean (Associate)

Mean (Full)

My department is a good place to work.

3.24

2.79**

2.88**

I think that Marshall University is a good place to work.

3.04

3.20

3.38

Within my college, I feel that it is a good place to work.

3.00

2.86

3.15

I feel that I “fit in” here at Marshall.

2.96

2.70

2.95

I think that Marshall University is where I am treated with respect.

2.84

3.03

2.98

I feel that I have a good quality of life in the geographic region of Marshall.

2.72

2.83

3.05*

Within my college, I feel that I “fit in”.

2.68

2.83

3.20**

I think that Marshall University has a campus free of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination.

2.68

2.87

3.13**

I think that Marshall University welcomes open input from me.

2.48

2.52

2.90**

I think that Marshall University is where the overall morale among faculty members is good.