MU releases job satisfaction survey results; strengths include employee interactions with each other

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri released the results of its faculty job satisfaction survey and found the university is succeeding in three areas of strength, and is looking to improve two other areas.

The survey was conducted by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education in during the spring 2022 semester. Nine hundred faculty members completed the survey, which accounts for roughly 51% of its eligible participants.

The survey found that the university's strengths include department collegiality, department and faculty leadership and teaching.

"One very promising theme that emerged is that most faculty appear to really like working within their departments and are satisfied with colleagues they regularly work with - both within and outside the department," the report states.

The two areas for development are the university senior leadership and shared governance. Shared governance refers to the structures, processes, and practices through which faculty participate in
institutional decision-making.

COACHE compares results to its previous surveys, peers and cohorts. Peer institutions include similar universities including Purdue University, University of Arkansas and others. Cohorts include 81 other universities that completed the survey.

The university hopes to develop its senior leadership, the survey found that the faculty are dissatisfied with its senior leaders' stated priorities, the pace of decision-making or communication with faculty.

The COACHE committee, ex-offico members and MU faculty members created recommendations to improve upon areas in need of development.

Recommendations include:

• Evaluate the efficacy of shared governance structure and operation and make modifications to foster and commit to faculty-shared governance.
• Improve quality, frequency, and transparency of communication between institutional leaders and faculty and publicly celebrate report, and publicly affirm faculty successes.
• Foster open dialogue and work with faculty to find new opportunities for faculty to lead and influence both policy and programs.
• Create a website where faculty can submit questions and recommendations (on shared governance) to senior leadership.

Other recommendations were listed as well to improve upon the universities inclusion, diversity and equity.

• Improve recruitment, hiring, promotion and retention of diverse faculty. Increase cluster hires in divisions with the greatest need and follow best practices proven effective at peer institutions.
• Identify and remove any barriers that may limit opportunities for the advancement of diverse faculty.
• Foster an inclusive and becoming culture that values and celebrates differences of background, expertise, race, gender, sexuality and religion among faculty.
• Gather, monitor, and communicate feedback about campus IDE efforts, and engage with divisional leaders and faculty to identify the most appropriate strategies to support and enhance IDE.
• Improve the COACHE survey tool by adding customized IDE questions to the 2025 survey.

“The COACHE survey results are the starting point for institutional change. The data from the survey helped our senior leaders create new initiatives which were developed and launched following the 2013, 2016 and 2019 surveys,” Daryl Smith -- who is an associate teaching professor of management -- said in a press release.

“We appreciate the valuable feedback from our faculty and the committee’s work in reviewing the data,” UM System President Mun Choi said in a press release. “We look forward to working with our faculty to make improvements and to continue to achieve excellence."