Work-Life

2010 UK@Work Survey Results

Strengths, Areas of Opportunity and Issues of Need for Consideration

As demonstrated by the composite scores for faculty and staff responses, the 2010 UK@Work survey results indicate a number of strengths and areas of opportunity. To summarize these results, strengths are defined as responses with percentage scores of 60% or more; areas of opportunity are defined by scores of 40% or less. Statistically significant findings are indicated as issues for consideration.

Strengths

Faculty
  • are satisfied with their faculty positions
  • would accept a position at UK again
  • are committed to UK’s strategic mission
  • are content with their workloads in terms of teaching, service, and advising
  • believe that they are respected
  • are satisfied with their quality of life
  • believe that their chairs and colleagues are supportive of their personal/family responsibilities
  • agree that multiculturalism is a part of UK’s mission and that intolerance and bigotry are unacceptable at UK
Staff
  • are satisfied with their jobs
  • are committed to UK
  • intend to stay at UK until retirement
  • are committed to UK’s strategic mission
  • are satisfied with many aspects of their jobs (e.g., hours, challenge, benefits, job security, supervisors, etc.)
  • feel respected by their co-workers, supervisors, and students
  • are satisfied with their quality of life
  • agree that multiculturalism is a part of UK’s mission and that intolerance and bigotry are unacceptable at UK
  • feel their personal/family lives are supported at UK
  • are satisfied with their ability to balance work life with personal/family life
  • Supervisors feel well-equipped to help staff members manage their work life and personal/family life responsibilities while ensuring that unit goals are met.

Areas of Opportunity

Faculty
  • High burn-out: Low ability to “get it all done,” feel drained
  • Low perception of trust at UK
  • Little confidence that leaders understand faculty concerns
  • Low compensation relative to peers at benchmark institutions
  • Too few staff resources
Staff
  • High burn-out: Low ability to “get it all done,” feel drained
  • Feel poorly compensated
  • Do not feel valued by UK
Faculty would like to have:
  • more technical staff support
  • more influence in key departmental decisions
  • more interaction with faculty from other departments
  • resources to work from home
  • paid leave beyond FMLA-qualifying events (staff)
  • assistance with childcare (staff)

 

Issues in Need of Consideration

The following issues were statistically significant, meriting closer examination.

Faculty
  • Tenured associate professors and full professors are less committed to UK than non-tenured Assistant Professors
  • Associate Professors are the most burned out professors
  • Black faculty perceive a less inclusive campus and more disparate treatment than faculty of other races
  • Declining since 2005-06:
    • Faculty confidence in UK’s direction
    • Faculty belief that senior leadership communicates UK’s direction & priorities
Staff
  • Executive/administrative staff are the most committed but also the most burned out
  • Black staff perceive less support, a less inclusive campus, and more disparate treatment than White staff
  • Service/maintenance and skilled crafts staff members perceive more disparate treatment than other classifications of staff
Some 38% of staff are now or will be in the next 3-4 years responsible for an adult dependent. Staff spend more time each week than faculty providing care for adult dependents, and they have difficulty finding affordable, quality resources.

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