faculty worklife survey

FACULT

Y W

ORKLIFE

SURVEY

CALIFORNIA

STA

TE U

NIVERSIT

Y, LO

NG BEACH

SURVEY DEVELOPMENT & ADMINISTRATIONThe Survey

• Adapted from the Cornell Faculty Worklife Survey (with permission from Cornell) by ad hoc faculty committee

• Administered (electronically) Spring 11 to all Unit 3 employees (approximately 2,000 faculty)

• Contained 50 Likert-style items that asked faculty to characterize their satisfaction with work, workload, climate/work environment, stressors, and personal and family responsibilities. Two open ended questions asked faculty to characterize the best and worst aspects of their work at CSULB.

DEMOGRAPHICS• 529 faculty completed the survey (exceeded requirements of a

95% confidence interval)

• Age range, 30 – 75; Average age, 48

• 290 respondents characterized themselves as female

• 192 respondents characterized themselves as male

• 47 respondents declined to state their gender identity

• 274 respondents characterized their ethnic identity as Caucasian or white

• 181 respondents provided an ethnic identity other than white. (51 different ethnic/ cultural identifies were reported)

• 74 respondents declined to state their ethnic identity

• All academic ranks were represented (part-time lecturers, n = 142; full-time lecturers, n = 48, assistant professors, n = 100; associate professors, n = 82; full professors, n = 143).

RESPONDENTS BY COLLEGE

College of the Arts 63 13%

College of Business Administration 25 5%

College of Education 49 10%

College of Engineering 20 4%

College of Health and Human Services 105 22%

College of Liberal Arts 167 35%

College of Natural Science and Math 35 9%

University Library 14 3%

Athletics 1 0%

CAPS 4 1%

WORKLO

AD

APPROPRIATION OF WORK TIME# Answer Min Value Max Value Average Value Standard

Deviation

1

instruction & instructionally-related activities

0 100 56.78 26.70

2

research, scholarly, and creative activities (RSCA)

0 97 17.13 14.47

3 service activities

0 50 13.05 10.51

4

administrative (department chair or other administrative duties)

0 100 10.54 20.22

RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY (10/11 AY) Average number of articles published in peer-

reviewed journals = 2 (STD = 1)

Average number of reviews, articles in edited volumes, encyclopedia entries, reference articles during = 2 (STD = 1.3)

Average number of textbooks, research reports, manuals = 1.3 (STD = .64)

Average number of conference and other invited presentations = 2.6 (STD = 1.4)

Average number of performances or art exhibitions = 1.4 (STD = 1.2)

Average number of grant proposals = 1.7 (STD = 1)

SATIS

FACTI

ON

SATISFACTION SUMMARY

71% of faculty reported being satisfied with their work at CSULB.

Lecturers reported higher levels of work satisfaction than T/TT faculty.

Full-time Lecturers reported the highest level of satisfaction with work.

CLA faculty reported less overall satisfaction than members of other colleges/units.

Work satisfaction was associated with personal satisfaction regardless of rank or college.

OVERALL SATISFACTION# Answer

Response %

1 Very Dissatisfied

13 3%

2 Dissatisfied

26 6%

3 Somewhat Dissatisfied

51 13%

4 Neutral

14 3%

5 Somewhat Satisfied

58 14%

6 Satisfied

138 34%

7 Very Satisfied

94 23%

8 I opt to NOT respond

13 3%

Total 407 100%

SATISFACTION WITH WORK SUPPORT• 56% of faculty reported satisfaction with support for

teaching.

• Highest level of satisfaction with teaching support :• library support • course management and enrollment• faculty development

• Lowest level of satisfaction with teaching support:• support of innovation in teaching • classroom space • teaching materials

SATISFACTION WITH WORK SUPPORT

• 17% of faculty reported satisfaction with support for RSCA.

• Relatively low satisfaction for all areas of support for RSCA

Lowest levels of satisfaction:• financial support • time to conduct research

SATISFACTION WITH WORK SUPPORT

• 71% of faculty reported satisfaction with support for service.• most satisfied • Center for Community Engagement • support for service learning.

• least satisfied • equitable distribution of service assignments.

• Assistant and Full Professors reported more dissatisfaction with support for service than other ranks.

SATISFACTION WITH SUPPORT FOR TEACHING

# Answer

Response %

1 Very Dissatisfied

10 3%

2 Dissatisfied

33 8%


69 17%

4 Neutral

57 14%


86 22%

6 Satisfied

110 28%

7 Very Satisfied

24 6%


8 2%

Total 397 100%

SATISFACTION WITH SUPPORT FOR RSCA

# Answer

Response %

1 Very Dissatisfied

50 14%

2 Dissatisfied

80 22%


65 18%

4 Neutral

87 24%


43 12%

6 Satisfied

14 4%

7 Very Satisfied

5 1%


26 7%

Total 370 100%

SATISFACTION WITH SUPPORT FOR SERVICE

# Answer

Response %

1 Very Dissatisfied

18 5%

2 Dissatisfied

41 11%


54 15%

4 Neutral

149 41%


35 10%

6 Satisfied

39 11%

7 Very Satisfied

9 2%


22 6%

Total 367 100%

SATIS

FACTI

ON WIT

H

WORK E

NVIRONMENT

SATISFACTION WITH WORK ACTIVITIES

• Faculty reported most satisfaction with the opportunities to make a difference in student’s lives and the intellectual stimulation of their work

• Faculty reported the least satisfaction with their opportunities to collaborate with colleagues outside of their department.

• Faculty reported that they place their highest value on teaching and their availability to their students.

• Faculty reported that they place less value on service outside the university and mentoring junior faculty.

• Faculty reported feeling respected by their students, immediate peers, senior faculty, and staff.

SATISFACTION WITH WORK ENVIRONMENT• Faculty reported spending weekends and holidays

working.

• Faculty reported that they find joy in their work.

• Faculty reported that they feel comfortable sharing their views in faculty meetings.

• Faculty reported that they feel their scholarship is supported by their colleagues.

• Overall, faculty reported satisfaction with their department chairs.

• Most faculty members reported that they had not received mentoring at CSULB (71%).

CLIMAT

E

DEPARTMENT CLIMATE

• Faculty members are connected mainly at the department/unit level and this is where the prime conditions of their work life are formed.

• Faculty reported that their department provides a supportive climate.

• Faculty perceived their department climate as supportive of opportunities for women faculty

• Faculty perceived that their department provided a supportive climate and opportunities for under-represented minority faculty.

DEPARTMENT CLIMATE

• Faculty feel much less connected to the college offices and university offices.

• Faculty reported that their department was not adequately supported and valued by the University.

• T/TT faculty report higher levels of stress with department politics than other faculty.

• Full Professors rated their department colleagues more aggressive and/or more individually oriented than did other ranks.

WORK S

TRESSORS

WORK STRESSORS

• Overall, faculty reported stressors related to having enough time to do all that is required of them across the three work areas: teaching, RSCA, and service.

• Time to work on RSCA and financial support is lacking.

• All T/TT faculty members found RSCA activities more stressful than lecturers.

• PT, assistant, and associate professors found issues associated with their advancement, RTP, and Range Elevation stressful.

• All T/TT faculty (but not full time lecturers) found departmental politics stressful.

WORK STRESSORS

• All faculty (except full time lecturers) found minor administrative tasks stressful.

• All faculty (except full time lecturers) found managing travel stressful.

• All faculty (except full time lecturers) found meeting with students stressful.

• Faculty in CLA reported higher levels of stress associated with teaching than other colleges.

• Overall, faculty perceived that all aspects of their work represent “high priorities” by their department, unit, or college.

PERSONAL &

FAMILY

RESPONSIB

ILITI

ES

PERSONAL DEMOGRAPHICS

• Overall, faulty reported a high level of satisfaction with life outside of work.

• 75% of faculty reported having a partner or spouse.

• 26% of faculty reported that they are in a “commuting” relationship with their spouse or partner some or all of the time.

• 54% of faculty reported that they are parents or legal guardians.

• 18% of faculty reported that they are responsible for managing care for someone who is ill or disabled.

• 66% of faculty reported that they were satisfied with how their work and personal lives worked together.

PERSONAL STRESSORS

• Faculty reported less overall personal stress than work-related stress.

• Childcare and starting a family ranked as the highest stressors in faculty personal lives.

• Quality of schools, housing costs, and personal finances also ranked among the top personal stressors for faculty.

OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS

• Faculty reported that students and making a difference in students’ lives contributed the most to their quality of work.

• Faculty reported that heavy workload and department politics created the most work distractions.

faculty worklife survey

Documents