Governance Questionnaire: Summary Report

What follows is an abbreviated summary of the mean response to the Faculty Senate's Governance Survey which was implemented this Spring. I can report that the political climate on campus has improved over what a similar survey found in 1981 the last time the Faculty Senate attempted to measure campus opinion. However, there are still problem areas like compensation, policy-making, shared governance and other issues that will require serious attention. Some subgroups are also more satisfied with various university procedures and processes than are other stake holders.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the survey and the Office of Institutional Research for doing all the hard work involved. We have come a long way toward a more participatory environment since the contentious 1980s but we still have much work to do. Shared Governance is always a work in progress and never something we can ever take for granted.

Please E-mail me for a more detailed report of survey findings.

Jim Simmons, Immediate Past-President

UW-O Faculty Senate

 

 Information Items

1. What is your college? (Respond in first item of the answer sheet) (342)

A. COLS (207) B. COEHS (47) C. COBA (27) D. CON (16) E. U Services (45)

 2. What is your working title? (348)

A. Faculty (196 ) B. In Staff (21) C. Ac Staff (97) D. Chair (26) E. Admin App (8)

3. How long have you been employed by the university? (344)

A. 1-5 years (111) B. 6-10 (78) C. 11-15 (60) D. 16-25 (46) E. 26 plus (55)
 

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1.Strongly Disagree 2.Disagree 3. Neutral 4.Agree 5.Strongly Agree

Personnel and Compensation Decisions

4. The faculty exercises primary responsibility for faculty promotion decisions 3.746
5. The faculty exercises primary responsibility in tenure and renewal decisions. 3.545
6. The faculty exercises primary responsibility for faculty appointments (hiring). 3.594
7. This university's faculty personnel policies and practices are fair and equitable. 3.383
8. The faculty exercises primary responsibility for merit criteria and allocation. 3.748
9. University standards for faculty compensation decisions are fair and equitable. 2.799 *
10. My salary and benefits are more than adequate given the duties that I perform. 2.191 *
11. I will remain at UWO even if my salary falls behind my peers at other colleges. 2.991 *

 

University Governance

12. The faculty effectively participates in department or equivalent unit decisions. 3.933
13. The faculty effectively participates in decision making at the college level. 3.244
14. The Faculty Senate represents the faculty effectively at the university level. 3.030
15. The committee system represents the faculty effectively at the university level. 3.104
16 Membership organizations (TAUWP, AAUP, etc) effectively represent the faculty. 2.768 *
17. The university administration shares governance responsibility with the faculty. 3.032
 

Academic and Educational Activities

18. The faculty exercises primary responsibility for the university's curriculum. 4.086
19. The course and program approval process results in sound acad decisions. 3.346
20. The faculty exercises primary responsibility for student academic policies. 3.359
21 Student academic policies and practices are rigorous and academically sound. 3.028
22. The faculty has academic freedom in determining course content and evaluation. 3.909
23. The faculty has academic freedom of self-expression both on and off campus. 3.695
24. Student opinion surveys are a valid measure of teaching in personnel decisions. 2.321 *
25. I am more active in my discipline's associations than I have been on campus. 2.919 *
 

Participation in Institutional Policy-Making

26. The faculty participates actively in the development of the university budget. 2.196 *
27. The faculty participates actively in the search and screen for administrators. 3.372
28. The faculty participates actively in the university's strategic planning-process. 2.833 *
29. The faculty participates actively in the management of university facilities. 2.396 *
30. The administration engages in meaningful consultation with the faculty. 2.793 *
 

Issues and Attitudes

31. Teamwork and quality improvement techniques (CQI, TQM) enhance shared governance. 2.834 *
32. Unionization and collective bargaining would empower faculty and academic staff. 3.366
33. Shared governance demands time that should be devoted to research and teaching. 2.912 *
34. The administration should have broad discretion in establishing univ priorities. 2.469 *
35. Committee work and other service activities are both stimulating and rewarding. 3.093
36. Faculty should get service and teaching load reductions to promote development. 3.581
37. Members of the surrounding community should participate in university policy. 2.585 *
38. Academic staff and students should play a more significant role in governance. 3.321
39. The growing number of temporary instructional staff undercut shared governance. 3.425
40. Overall, I have more than sufficient influence in the governance of this university. 2.645 *
 

Subgroup Analysis

1) Satisfaction with Governance Process- COBA, COEHS, Services, Senior Faculty

2) Most Critical of SOS Utilization- COEHS, Senior Faculty

3) Support for Collective Bargaining- COLS, COEHS, Junior/Senior Faculty

4) Support for Service Activities- COBA, COEHS, Academic Staff, Senior Faculty

5) Use/Rights of Instructional Staff- All Staff and Administrators

6) Dissatisfaction Compensation/Self Expression- Junior Faculty

7) Opposition Senate/TAUWP- COBA, Middle Faculty, Administrators

 

Jim Simmons

Political Science
Univ. of Wisconsin
Oshkosh, WI 54901
(920) 424-7165/233-1936
simmons@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu
 
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