2023 Faculty & Staff Climate and Engagement Survey

In early 2023, UW-Green Bay will be facilitating a faculty & staff climate and engagement survey.  UW-System coordinated a climate survey for students in 2021, but a concurrent faculty and staff survey was ultimately postponed due to COVID.

We appreciate your participation in taking the upcoming survey and encouraging peers to complete the survey as well. With that in mind, please see below for some frequently asked questions regarding the 2023 Faculty & Staff Climate and Engagement Survey:

Why should I complete the climate and engagement survey?

It is important to make your voice heard so that the institution can better understand the faculty and staff experience. Assessing campus climate and employee engagement is critically important to support strategic planning, faculty & staff recruitment/retention, and professional development activities. By capturing faculty and staff perceptions of diversity and campus climate issues (among other topics), we can better understand employee needs and what we can do to improve the experiences of all employees here at UW-Green Bay.

When will the survey be distributed?

The climate and engagement survey will be distributed starting on January 31, 2023 and collection of survey responses will continue through March 9, 2023.

What survey instrument will be used?

The determination has been made to utilize the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA (or HERI) surveys for faculty and staff. While a couple of other survey options were considered, the HERI survey was chosen because it is so commonly used (allowing us to utilize comparison groups), the questions asked especially in the faculty survey go well-beyond climate (i.e. pedagogical practices, research & service, faculty experience, etc.), and UW-Green Bay has utilized the HERI survey multiple times in the past so we have consistency in historical reporting.

Will all employees be invited to participate?

All active, professional employees at the time of distribution with an appointment of at least one semester will be invited to participate. Student employees and graduate assistants will not be a part of this survey since those populations were invited to participate in the 2021 student climate survey.

Will all employees get the same survey?

There is a separate survey for faculty and for staff. Employee whose responsibilities are primarily instructional (tenured/tenure-track faculty, instructional academic staff in teaching professor titles, and temporary/part-time lecturers) will be invited to complete the faculty survey. Those whose primary responsibilities are non-instructional will be invited to complete the staff survey.

How will I get the link to the survey?

The actual request to participate with the link to the survey and reminders during the collection period will be sent from HERI directly from the following email addresses: 

About a week prior to the January 31st distribution date, all employees will receive a communication from HR which will prepare them for the information they can expect to receive from HERI.

How long will the survey take to complete?

In their administration materials, HERI has communicated that if all questions are answered, the survey will take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete.

Can I complete the survey on paid work time?

Yes, the survey can be taken on work time, and supervisors are encouraged to work with employees to set aside time for survey completion.

Are any of the questions required?

Every question on the survey is optional, so you can refrain from answering anything that may make you feel uncomfortable.

Are my responses confidential?

The HERI survey is confidential. You will not be asked identifying information including name or address. HERI will request your email address for potential follow-up surveys, however if you answer “no” your email address is not retained. Even if answering “yes”, your email address will not be linked to your survey results in any form. In the HERI-provided sharable reports, any item with fewer than five respondents will be suppressed in order to protect confidentiality. For more information about HERI confidentiality, please see https://ucla.box.com/v/FAC-Confidentiality-Privacy

How will response data be handled by UW-Green Bay?

The Senior HR/AA Officer will receive a data file of responses, however the data will not be attached to email addresses and may only be used for statistical analysis and reporting of aggregate information, not for the investigation into specific individuals. Before receiving the data, the Senior HR/AA Officer will certify compliance with HERI’s confidentiality agreement, which states that nobody at the institution will use the data to investigate any individual responses. The Senior HR/AA Officer will generate any requested reports in aggregate so as not to inadvertently disclose the identity of respondents, and data will be stored in the secure, restricted HR drive.

When will the results be published?

We expect that HERI reports will be released in the late summer of 2023. For information about HERI’s data reporting, please see https://ucla.box.com/v/FAC-Data-and-Reporting.

What happens after we get the climate study results?

In order for a climate and engagement survey to be meaningful, there must be recognition of the results and recommendations for action as warranted. Both leadership and the work group are committed to continuing the survey process into the fall to include a period of time in which recommendations for action based upon survey results can be considered.

Who should I contact if I have questions?

You are welcome to contact anyone on the climate and engagement survey work group. Members include:

    • Melissa Nash (HR)
    • Stacie Christian (University Inclusivity & Student Affairs)
    • Courtney Sherman (Academic Affairs)
    • Kristin Bouchard (Marketing & University Communications)
    • Devin Bickner (Resch School of Engineering, UC Chair)
    • Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges (Psychology, Faculty Representative)
    • Kate Farley (Library, Academic Staff Representative)
    • Kim Mezger (Academic Affairs, University Staff Representative)