p. With its highest response rate ever, the recently released faculty survey reported that 81 percent of faculty members who answered the survey say they are “very satisfied” or “moderately satisfied” with their positions at the College.
This 2006 survey is the sixth faculty survey at the College. Previous surveys were conducted in 2003, 1999, 1996, 1993 and 1991.
p. The 81 percent satisfaction rating was included in a preview of the results at the Board of Visitors meeting last week. This particular figure was from a question on the survey that read, “On the whole, how satisfied are you with your position at the College?”
p. “This is an increase over the last survey (Faculty Survey 2003 was 78 percent), but not as high as in 1999 (86 percent),” Kulick said.
p. Unsatisfied faculty cited salaries as the main problem. Twenty-one percent said they were looking for jobs elsewhere as of October 2006. Not all of those on the job market will necessarily leave the College, but they are looking at other options, Kulick noted.
The response rate for the survey was 72.7 percent. The last survey in 2003 had a response rate of 62 percent, which was considered outstanding at the time, according to President of the Faculty Assembly Katherine Kulick.
p. “This [72.7 percent] is a very strong response rate by any measure, considering that nearly three-fourths of all full-time tenured and tenure-eligible faculty took part in the survey,” Kulick said.
p. From a list of 16 possibilities on the survey, faculty were to choose their top priorities for the future. The overall top priorities were increased funding for salaries, student financial aid and faculty research.
p. “The full results of the Faculty Survey 2006 are still being analyzed; there were many more questions,” Kulick said.
As soon as it is complete, a final faculty survey will be posted on the Faculty Assembly website.
