Overwhelming majority of UI faculty, staff, students report feeling valued, engaged

Results from two important campus surveys administered in 2022 show that an overwhelming majority of University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students who took the surveys say they feel valued and engaged.

The results of the 2022 Campus Climate Survey and 2022 Working at Iowa Survey also highlight key areas for improvement.

The Campus Climate Survey, administered during the spring semester, measures perceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, while the Working at Iowa Survey, administered in October, measures perceptions about the employee work experience. While the two surveys have separate focuses, it is possible to identify general themes that are similar in both. Together, the surveys give UI community members a way to confidentially share their opinions, and the results provide university leaders with data they can use to enact meaningful change and to continue or improve existing programs.

Campus Climate Survey

The Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion collected data from faculty, staff, and postdocs, as well as professional, graduate, and undergraduate students from March 29 to May 25. The survey was sent to 45,580 participants, and 10,438 responded.

Of those who responded, 79% of undergraduate students, 82% of graduate and professional students, and 77% of faculty, staff, and postdocs said the UI is a place where they feel valued.

In addition, more than 90% of undergraduate students who responded to the survey that measures perceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus indicated that faculty at Iowa encourage the expression of diverse viewpoints. Most graduate students (85%) and professional students (78%) also agreed.

Similarly high rates of respondents said diversity, equity, and inclusion is important to them and is valued at Iowa: 88% of undergraduate students, 76% of graduate students, 84% of professional students, and 83% of faculty, staff, and postdocs.

However, the same survey identified areas for improvement related to the number of faculty and staff who reported they experienced bias in the past year and the number of faculty and staff who said they feel apprehensive when faced with having difficult conversations.

“The common thread from these findings is to continue our focus on unifying our campus culture,” says Liz Tovar, executive officer and associate vice president of the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “To do this, we will continue to work with the strategic plan and campus leadership to build a common feeling of respect and accountability as outlined in our institutional mission and values.”

More information about the 2022 Campus Climate Survey can be found on the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website.

Working at Iowa Survey

University Human Resources collected data Oct. 12–27 from faculty and staff working 50% or more. The survey was sent to 6,310 participants, and 4,355 responded.

UI Health Care utilized a UI Health Care Working at Iowa survey in partnership with Press Ganey, which allows benchmarking against other health care facilities and correlation with patient satisfaction surveys also administered by Press Ganey. These survey results do not include UI Health Care results.

Overall, employees who responded reported high levels of agreement with all survey questions, the highest being:

• I know what is expected of me in my work (95% agreement).
• I understand how my job fits into the overall mission of the university (94%).
• My supervisor treats me with respect (93%).

The lowest levels of agreement highlight areas where the university has an opportunity to make considerable improvement:

• My unit distributes workload fairly (73% agreement).
• The university recognizes the accomplishments of faculty and staff (72%).
• There are opportunities for promotion at the UI (71%).

Later this month, each college and administrative unit will receive results specific to its area that can serve as a starting point for addressing change at the local level, says Cheryl Reardon, chief human resources officer and associate vice president.

“Highly engaged employees are essential to the university’s mission of providing a world-class education to students from across the state and beyond,” Reardon says. “Working on these areas where we see lower agreement will help us attract and retain the best faculty and staff to carry out that mission.”

More information about the 2022 Working at Iowa Survey can be found on the University Human Resources website.

UI Health Care Working at Iowa Survey

UI Health Care implemented its own version of the Working at Iowa Survey from Oct. 17—Nov. 7 in collaboration with Press Ganey to allow for expanded surveying on health care questions. The survey results above do not include UI Health Care results. Survey information is expected to be shared with UI Health Care employees at the end of January.