Your Input Mattered!
As teachers, scholars, participants in shared governance, and the purveyors of institutional culture and history, faculty are essential to the success of academic institutions. For more than 10 years, the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education has surveyed faculty members at more than 250 colleges and universities to understand the themes associated with faculty satisfaction.
In 2019, the University of Pittsburgh partnered with COACHE for a second time to administer COACHE’s Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey. Nearly 42% of Pitt’s non-clinical, full-time tenured, tenure stream, and appointment stream faculty members completed the online survey in the spring. Pitt’s 42% response rate is slightly under Pitt faculty's 46% response rate in 2016 but above the 40% response rate of our selected peers.
View the 2019 COACHE Results on 25 Key Benchmarks (click on image to enlarge):
Overall Results 2019 (click on image to enlarge):
Information about both the 2019 survey and the 2016 survey follows.
Climate Insights
The results are in, and they offer great insights into what Pitt faculty think about working here! Browse this Website to see an overview of Pitt’s results, comparisons across faculty ranks, and comparisons with other institutions. You’ll also find a number of infographics that we developed around a specific topic (e.g., promotion to full professor, mentoring, etc.). Each infographic summarizes key results related to that topic and provides “good practices” or resources that can strengthen the work environment for faculty.
The results of the COACHE survey suggest that Pitt faculty, relative to faculty at other institutions, are more satisfied on a range of benchmarks including nature of work (research and service), health and retirement benefits, collaboration and mentoring, and governance. The results also highlight areas where Pitt faculty are less satisfied than faculty at other institutions: clarity of tenure policies, clarity of tenure expectations, and the process of being promoted to full professor. We have taken these results to heart.
Paths for Change
Explore the sections below to see how we used the results to drive meaningful change—and why your input mattered!
Tenure and Promotion Processes
58% of Pitt faculty members believed department culture encourages promotion to full professor. See how respondents perceive other areas related to tenure and promotion processes, as well as what steps have been taken in response to these findings. See the COACHE results on tenure and promotion guidelines and expectations »
Mentoring
95% of Pitt faculty members said it's important to have a mentor, but only 24% said they're satisfied with the support available to be a good mentor. View more response data and the activities underway to strengthen mentoring programs. See the COACHE results on faculty mentoring »
Teaching
Around 80% of Pitt faculty indicated they're satisfied with both time spent on teaching and their teaching schedule, while 48% reported satisfaction with institutional support to improve teaching. See what is being done to advance teaching excellence across the University. See the COACHE results on teaching »
Career and Professional Development
Learn more about the programs in place and under development to provide career and professional development opportunities for Pitt faculty. See the COACHE results on career and professional development »
Leadership Development
The University has implemented several new programs to aid in the development of leadership and managerial skills for faculty. See how Pitt is encouraging leadership development across the faculty. See the COACHE results on faculty leadership development »
Recognition and Appreciation of Faculty
67% of Pitt faculty members indicated satisfaction with the recognition they receive from their colleagues. Read more on how faculty contributions are recognized and celebrated. See the COACHE results on faculty recognition and appreciation »
Diversity and Inclusion: Faculty Climate
76% of Pitt faculty members believed diversity is important at Pitt. Review their thoughts on diversity and inclusion, as well as recruitment and retainment efforts, and what is being done to support a diverse and inclusive environment. See the COACHE results on diversity and inclusion and diversity in faculty hiring »
Diversity and Inclusion: Teaching Practices
85% of Pitt faculty indicated they feel prepared to create a classroom where students feel safe to disagree. See what programs are in place or under development to support these efforts. See the COACHE results on diversity in teaching practices »
Communication, Transparency, and Shared Governance
50% of Pitt faculty reported feeling that faculty and administration discuss difficulty issues in good faith. Review the steps underway that help support transparency and open communication. See the COACHE results related to communication, transparency, and shared governance »