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2006 Faculty Well-Being Survey:

Reappointment, Promotion & Tenure&

Post-Tenure Review

Presentation for NC State Faculty SenateFebruary 27, 2007

Nancy Whelchel, PhDAssistant Director for Survey ResearchUniversity Planning and Analysishttp://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/survey/faculty/

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Survey Population & Response Rate

On campus tenure/non-tenure track faculty/lecturers (including dept heads, music, PE, FYC)

FTE .75 AY04-05 & AY05-06 Final population = 1,625 (No sampling) 69.7% response rate

– No significant differences in response rates among subgroups

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Statement of Mutual Expectations

10% faculty indicate no SME (not incl lecturers)

– By Rank• 12% Full Profs• 7% Assoc Profs• 9% Assist Profs• 56% Lecturers

– By Number of Years at NC State (not incl lecturers)• 12% >25 yrs • 14% 16-25 yrs• 10% 7-15 yrs• 8% < 7yrs

– By College(not incl lectures)• 18% CHASS• 13% CED, COE, PAMS

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Statement of Mutual Expectations

Among those w/ SMEs: SMEs are consistent w/

– Department vision (90% agree)

– Department standards for promotion (92% agree) (But junior faculty are less likely to think so…)

Annual Performance Review feedback IS based on SME (81% agree)

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Performance Reviews

Indication of no performance review– By Rank

• 6% Full Profs• 7% Assoc Profs• 8% Assist Profs• 6% Lecturers

– By Number of Years at NC State• 9% < 7yrs • 5% 7-15 yrs• 7% 16-25 yrs• 6% >25 yrs

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Performance Review & RPT

Faculty give positive ratings to:– Clarity of performance review standards and

procedures (77% and 85%)

– Clarity of RPT standards and procedures (80% and 83%)

– Clarity of Academic Tenure Policy (69%)

– Equity of RPT standards and procedures (77% and 85%)

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Performance Review & RPT

Procedures receive higher ratings than standards

Clarity receives higher ratings than equity Very strong relationship between clarity of

standards/procedures and perceptions of equity

High understanding = high perception of equity

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Performance Review & RPT

Consistently lower ratings given by:– Those without an SME or performance review– Those who’ve not participated in RPT process– Assistant professors– Women Assoc Profs– Women (excluding lecturers)

• Clarity of performance review standards

• Understanding of RPT procedures

• Equity of applying RPT standards

– (no differences by race/ethnicity)

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Performance Review Feedback

Overall faculty give positive ratings to feedback from their performance review– Highest ratings to being appropriately based on

SME (81% agree)

– Lowest rating to helping to understand performance relative to peers (55.5% agree)

– Relatively lower ratings given by• Assoc Profs• Female Assoc Profs • Male Full Profs

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Support & Rewards for 6 Realms of Faculty Responsibility

Overall faculty consistently more satisfied with rewards for each realm than with support/resources for the realm

Gap is especially large for “Discovery of Knowledge” 9% ‘strongly agree’ sufficient resources are provided

VS

33% ‘strongly agree’ excellent performance is rewarded

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Support & Rewards for 6 Realms of Faculty Responsibility

Consistent differences in ratings by rank– Assist Profs consistently more positive than

others about resources– Full Profs consistently least positive about

resources and most positive about rewards– Gender or racial/ethnic differences are rare

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National comparisons on Tenure: COACHE Survey (Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education)

NC State rated in the top four among the 31 participating doctoral universities in the area of “tenure”

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COACHE Survey: Peer comparisons on tenure(Peers: Iowa State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Univ. Arizona, Univ. Minnesota)

NC State faculty gave significantly higher ratings than faculty at peer institutions to– Clarity of tenure process, criteria, and standards in

department– Body of evidence considered in decision– Own tenure prospects– Clarity of expectations as scholar, teacher, advisor – Reasonableness of expectations as scholar, teacher,

advisor, department colleague, service

NC State faculty had NO significantly lower ratings than peers on any tenure question

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COACHE Survey: Peer comparisons on tenure by race and gender

Significantly higher ratings than peers on most tenure items – NC State female faculty – NC State faculty of color

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HERI Faculty Survey (Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA)

HERI– 69% ‘strongly/somewhat agree’ (4-yr public univ)

“Criteria for advancement and promotion decisions are clear”

NC State– 80% ‘very/fairly well’ “How well do you understand your departments’ standards for

RPT?”

– 83% ‘very/fairly well’ “How well do you understand your departments’ procedures for

RPT?”

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The stressstress of RPT…

Top 5 sources of “a great deal” or “some” stress:

• Workload (73%)• Work/life balance (71%)• Research/publications demands (72%)• RPT (56%)• Committee work (50%)

RPT stress varies by• Rank• Gender• Rank * Gender

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Stress from RPT by rank * gender

27.3

7.9

39.7

46.1

42.4

29.0

25.0

9.2

36.4

39.5

46.6

35.3

32.2

39.8

21.2

23.8

0 20 40 60 80 100

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

MaleLe

ctur

erA

ssis

tA

ssoc

Ful

l **

Percent of Respondents

Great deal Some

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Relationship between attitudes about RPT and stress

More positive evaluation of:– Clarity of performance evaluation standards & procedures– Clarity of RPT standards & procedures– Fairness of RPT standards & procedures– Resources & rewards for ‘discovery of knowledge’

Lower frequency of reported RPT stress(Especially for Assoc. Profs)

(w/ no variation by race or gender)

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Giving/receiving help in understanding RPT process

Frequency varies by rank– Assistant professors (25% ‘seldom’/’never’) – Assoc professors (16%)– Full professors (12%)

(No gender or race/ethnicity differences when control for lecturers)

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Relationship between attitudes about RPT and giving/receiving help understanding RPT

Assistant Profs’ positive evaluation of:– Clarity of performance evaluation standards & procedures– Clarity of RPT standards & procedures– Fairness of RPT standards & procedures– Resources & rewards for ‘discovery of knowledge’

Higher frequency of giving/receiving help understanding RPT process

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Post-Tenure Review: Experience and Awareness

Most tenured faculty now have experience with PTR– 72% Full Profs & 53% Assoc Profs had review– 68% Full Profs & 23% Assoc Profs served on review

committee

Reporting “insufficient experience” to express an opinion on PTR questions:– 19% - 24% Assoc Profs– 60% - 70% Assist Profs

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Post-Tenure Review: Satisfaction

70% of those with any PTR experience are either “satisfied” (57%) or “very satisfied” (13%) with the post-tenure review process

Satisfaction w/ clarity and fairness of standards and procedures varies by gender and rank– Men more satisfied than women– Full professors more satisfied than associate profs

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Using the results: Some suggestions

Celebrate – it’s going relatively well! (but remember there are areas to improve on…)

Clarify/strengthen SMEs & Annual Performance Reviews

Nuture junior faculty (clarity of standards/procedures is essential)

Get a better understanding of issues facing female Assoc Profs - - they are not happy with RPT!

Attempt to provide more resources for discovery of knowledge.