Faculty and staff at The University of Memphis are generallyhappy in their current jobs, according to the results of theFaculty and Staff Feedback Survey, given during the spring 2003semester. Like any other profession, though, the survey also showedroom for improvement.
At the top of the list of changes that could improve the workingenvironment for the faculty and staff is the need to "enhancecommunication relationships across University Administration."
Communication has tended to go up and down, not all the wayacross the board like it should to ensure that everyone is keptabreast of necessary information, said Teresa Hartnett of theDivision of Business and Finance and one of the team projectleaders who coordinated the survey.
Another important issue identified through survey results is theneed to develop a "consistent, uniform message regarding TheUniversity's mission, vision and goals."
The survey was prompted by The University's recognition that alllarge organizations need a way to systematically gather theattitudes and perceptions of the staff in order to track levels ofsatisfaction and morale over a period of time, Hartnett said.
"Since we have a whole new senior administration, it's a goodtime to begin," she added.
Every member of The University's faculty and staff received ane-mailed invitation to take the survey. Included in that e-mailmessage was a link that took the recipient to the survey. Allparticipants were guaranteed anonymity.
Of the 2,514 members who received the e-mail, 1,181 U of M staffand faculty members responded.
Walter Kirkpatrick from the department of communication, thesecond team project leader, said the key point to be emphasizedabout the survey is that he and Hartnett are not too concerned withthe specific results of the survey but instead want to use them asa jumping off point.
"We want to use the results to stimulate conversation amongfaculty and staff on campus," he said.
Kirkpatrick and Hartnett will present their findings to TheUniversity's Executive Officers next week to begin the process ofopen discussion among staff members and executive officers. Theywill also offer recommendations on how to implement some of theideas generated from responses to the survey. The ExecutiveOfficer's final report will be available in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, Hartnett and Kirkpatrick plan to begin holdinga series of feedback sessions with various groups and departmentson campus to get everyone engaged in discussing issues that concernthem and their work environment.
"The most important point that came from the survey is that thefaculty and staff are committed to helping our students learn,"Hartnett said.
In the long run, Hartnett added, students will benefit becausehappier faculty will do their jobs better.
"Professors who are satisfied with where they work care if theirstudents are learning," she said.
