MU-ADVANCE Faculty Survey I: The Work/Life Balance

 

As the first in a series of three, this news item will highlight responses from faculty addressing work/life balance issues, by comparing results from the MU-ADVANCE-administered climate survey to the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) survey. The April 2007 MU-ADVANCE climate survey was offered to all faculty within STEM departments. STEM departments are defined as 1) all departments within the College of Science and the College of Information Technology and Engineering; 2) the Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Geography Departments in the College of Liberal Arts; and 3) the Departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Genetics, Pharmacology, and Physiology in the School of Medicine. Previous MU-ADVANCE news items that include results from the faculty climate survey have reported on attrition, tenure and promotion, and policies (see references). Future news items will evaluate workload and support, and overall campus climate.

The 2007 COACHE report presents data on tenure-track faculty job satisfaction based on responses from more than 6000 university faculty, representing eighty 4-year colleges and universities. The major goal of the survey was to improve the work climate for pre-tenure faculty and to develop criteria that would be important to their career success. COACHE identified clarity of tenure process; workload and support; effectiveness of common policies and practices; university climate; and global satisfaction as critical components in the success of pre-tenure faculty.

According to results from the MU-ADVANCE survey, faculty respondents highly agreed that other faculty members within their departments respected the roles and responsibilities they have outside of work. Also, they agreed that their college was supportive of the success of women faculty (Table 1). However, women felt more strongly than men that their personal or family responsibilities have slowed their advancement at Marshall. Women moderately indicated that, within their departments, female faculty who have children are considered less committed to their careers. None of these responses were statistically significant when evaluated by rank (Table 2).

When asked if the university was supportive for faculty who have and are raising children, COACHE reports that women showed less agreement with this statement when compared to their childless colleagues. Furthermore, COACHE showed that female faculty felt less satisfaction with balancing home and work relative to their male colleagues. However, they did score their colleagues and department were scored as being supportive.

Overall, Marshall STEM faculty responses closely matched the COACHE survey. When examining these results, it’s clear that women are becoming less isolated in their departments, but still feel more familial pressures than their male counterparts. The MU-ADVANCE Program continues to try to develop family-friendly policies that will help address these issues for male and female faculty.

References

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

MU-ADVANCE Spring 2007 Newsletter. Survey Helps Guide Faculty Development Activities and Policy Revisions. p4. (http://www.marshall.edu/mu-advance/Newsletter-Spring07.pdf)

MU-ADVANCE Weekly Update 11/9/2007. University Data Reveals a Need for Additional Resources to Support Preparation Toward Tenure and Promotion.  (http://www.marshall.edu/mu%2Dadvance/News-T&P.asp)

MU-ADVANCE Weekly Update 11/30/2007. Faculty Survey Spurs Mentoring Program Pilot Project. (http://www.marshall.edu/mu%2Dadvance/news-mentoring.htm)

MU-ADVANCE Weekly Update 1/18/2008. Voluntary, Non-Retirement Faculty Attrition Analysis of STEM Departments at Marshall University. (http://www.marshall.edu/mu-advance/news-attrition.htm)

Table 1. MU-ADVANCE climate survey results regarding the work/life balance, by gender. Survey administered to STEM faculty(all departments within the College of Science and College of Information Technology and Engineering, within Biomedical Science Departments with the School of Medicine, and STEM-designated departments within the College of Liberal Arts - Anthropology/Sociology, Criminal Justice, Geography, and Psychology). Scale: 4 = strongly agree; 3=agree; 2=disagree; 1 = strongly disagree. N=93; ** P<0.05; * P<0.1.

Survey question

Mean (female)

Mean (male)

Faculty members within my department respect the roles and responsibilities that I have outside of work.

3.21

2.95

My college is supportive of the success of women faculty.

2.93

3.20

I feel that my personal or family responsibilities have slowed my advancement at MU.

2.45

1.78**

I think that Marshall University cares about my family and home life.

2.21

2.36

Within my department female faculty who have children are considered less committed to their careers.

1.97

1.46**

Within my department male faculty who have children are considered less committed to their careers.

1.21

1.42

Table 2. MU-ADVANCE climate survey results regarding the work/life balance, by rank. Scale: 4 = strongly agree; 3=agree; 2=disagree; 1 = strongly disagree. N=95; **P < 0.05; *P<0.1.

Survey question

Mean (Assistant)

Mean (Associate)

Mean (Full)

Faculty members within my department respect the roles and responsibilities that I have outside of work.

2.96

3.00

3.05

My college is supportive of the success of women faculty.

3.05

2.86

3.33*

I feel that my personal or family responsibilities have slowed my advancement at MU.

2.19

1.83

2.14

I think that Marshall University cares about my family and home life.

2.33

2.11

2.36

Within my department female faculty who have children are considered less committed to their careers.

1.61

1.79

1.53

Within my department male faculty who have children are considered less committed to their careers.

1.36

1.43

1.30

  

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