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Campus Engagement Survey

2019 Survey Actions

 

What happened as a result of the 2019 Campus Engagement Survey?

According to ModernThink, the third-party administrator, the overall response rate to the online survey conducted Jan. 29- Feb. 12, 2019, was 55 percent with nearly 5,000 faculty and staff responding. That exceeds the goal of 50 percent for 2019 and is well beyond the 44 percent response rate in 2017.

This summary sheet from ModernThink presents the overall percent positive and overall percent negative responses from the 2017 and 2019 Campus Engagement Survey.

As part of the 2019 Campus Engagement survey, UAB participated in the Great Colleges to Work For program, which offers the opportunity to be recognized among the 12 survey dimensions and provides access to benchmark data to compare our institution’s survey results with other institutions across the country. UAB was not selected for recognition but continues to make gains in all areas. See the results here.

After the data was collected and analyzed, ModernThink, and the Steering Committee recommended steps to redress weaknesses in three areas:

 

engage communication 125x105    engage leadership 125x105    engage performance 125x105

Connect employees to shared values

   

Build on efforts to develop
and align leadership

    Improved consistency in performance management processes

 

 

Why would we do this and what does it look like?

 

Make intentional efforts to connect faculty and staff to the shared values

Why: UAB’s shared values provide a shared identity from which we can guide behavior, make decisions, grow and evolve.

Actions:

  • A task force was launched in fall 2019 to develop a Shared Values guide and discussion template to intentionally define and communicate the specific behaviors and actions associated with the values to faculty and staff.

 

 

Build on existing efforts to continue development and alignment across different levels of leadership.

Why: Skilled and aligned leaders drive the culture and the faculty and staff experience at UAB.

Actions:

  • Clarify leadership expectations and further define core competencies by job role.
  • Identify the critical conversations (informed by survey results and tied to Shared Values) and provide skill development and tools to leaders.
  • Continue developing those competencies and capabilities across the university.

 

 

Continue to improve consistency in performance-management processes

Why: To retain and develop high-performing faculty and staff, UAB must provide consistent and meaningful opportunities for growth, development and recognition.

Actions:

  • Build a performance-based culture by holding relevant, meaningful performance conversations on a regular basis and support shared accountability.
  • Ensure successful deployment of the new unified performance timeline and forms across campus units.

 

  

 

Two presentations of UAB’s campus engagement survey results were delivered April 18, 2019. A recording of the morning session is posted here.

 

UAB Campus Engagement Survey 2019 from uabnews on Vimeo.

 

The UAB Reporter summarized the April 18 presentation in this article, 5 ways the campus engagement survey told us more is better.