The University of Michigan’s ADVANCE Program will launch its fifth campuswide climate survey of all instructional, research and clinical track faculty Feb. 1, exploring topics including workload equity, career satisfaction, mentoring, faculty interactions and experiences of discrimination.
Improving faculty experiences at work is a central focus of ADVANCE and the campus’ larger DEI efforts. Insights from the survey will help ADVANCE and the broader university improve policies, practices and resources for faculty as well as guide new program development.
MORE INFORMATION
“ADVANCE has long been interested in the experiences of faculty at work. Is the climate inclusive and equitable? Do faculty have the support, mentoring and resources needed to thrive here? Do faculty want to continue their careers at U-M?” ADVANCE Director Jennifer Linderman said.
ADVANCE’s longitudinal survey of faculty climate began in 2001, and findings contributed to well-known ADVANCE initiatives including:
- STRIDE’s faculty recruitment workshops to share best practices for identifying and recruiting excellent and diverse candidates.
- Launch committees to mentor new junior faculty.
- The RISE Committee’s resources on workplace climate, including actions to respond to challenges in faculty meetings and over email.
- Department-level climate assessments to provide unit-level information on the experiences of faculty, staff and graduate students.
- Faculty exit interviews, which help campus leadership understand the factors that led to faculty choosing to depart U-M.
- Grant programs to support faculty scholarship and travel to meetings or field work.
- Network to Advance Faculty of Color, developed in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“Passion for working toward equity and inclusion on campus is at an all-time high as we look toward the rollout of DEI 2.0 this fall. Coupling that passion with data derived from our community is essential to creating a just, inclusive campus,” said Provost Laurie McCauley.
“By completing this survey, faculty have the opportunity to have a tangible, measurable impact on the policies and priorities that will compose the heart of DEI 2.0.”
All findings will be presented in the aggregate, so individuals completing the survey can be confident that they will not be identifiable.
For example, survey results will allow a better understanding of how service work, including frequently unrecognized service such as mentoring students, is distributed among faculty. Other questions aim to illuminate the experiences of particular faculty groups, including faculty with disabilities, international faculty and faculty of color.
The survey will take 30-40 minutes to complete, and all faculty should expect the first survey link to arrive via email Feb. 1. The survey will remain open until the end of February.
“ADVANCE respects and honors faculty voices by listening and advocating on their behalf,” said Shelly Conner, director of ADVANCE Research & Evaluation. “We are excited to hear from faculty in the 2023 survey.”
