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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