In the Spring of 2019, the UFF-FAU Executive Committee disseminated the 2018-2019 Administrator Survey to approximately 900 faculty at FAU via email. The online survey was adapted from the rating scale used for FAU faculty. The criterion for rating administrators came from their particular job descriptions. The survey covered several domains that included communication, collaboration, climate, fiscal, mission, and overall impact. In addition, faculty were asked about perceptions of happiness and climate at the University overall. Eleven colleges were included. The following provides a description of the process and a summary of the results.
Data were collected in April 16, 2019 and preliminary results were shared with UFF-FAU’s Executive Committee. There was a total of 209 responses to the survey of which 158 completed. A descriptive report of the results was included in preliminary review. Due to the low response rate and limited responses at the college level, an analysis was selected to test significant polarity of sentiment and disagreement in order to be sensitive to the small sample sizes.
Some significant findings were:
Responses relating to President John Kelly show an overall significant negative skew across all six leadership domains surveyed. In other words, the highest numbers of responses were counted in “unsatisfactory” across all six leadership domains surveyed.
Across college deans’, “communication skills”, particularly, shares information effectively in all areas and is open to ideas, concerns, and suggestions, showed a significant negative skew. Results from the College of Engineering and Computer Science showed a full standard deviation (1.31 SD) below average. In addition, the polarity for that test was without disagreement. Conversely, the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters showed a significant positive skew, however with some disagreement polarity.
In response to survey items about each dean, utilizes faculty governance and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and adheres to its articles showeda significant negative skew. For example, the College of Engineering and Computer Science resulted in a full standard deviation (1.26 SD) below the middle of the scale.
In response to mission, survey criterion such as prioritizes FAU’s values, cultural norms, and traditions when making decisions and planning for the future,” a significant negative skew resulted and responses in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, 70% of the responses were rated as unsatisfactory. This College also showed a significant negative skew under “understands factors that influence outcomes and enhances student and faculty success.
Happiness of Faculty and Climate showed neither a negative or positive skew.
Responses to forced survey items for each administrator and dean, by college, are included in the report. In addition to the scaled survey responses, the survey also included open-ended responses are reported as written and included in their entirety.
Due to the low response rate of this survey, only items with high polarity can be considered reliable and valid. It is important that faculty members respond to the UFF-FAU administrator survey in the future if we are to continue this effort.
Click below to see the data: