Great Colleges to Work For Survey

The University participates in the Great Colleges to Work For Survey to gather important information that assist us in contining to be a model employer as identified in the Richmond Promise.

The survey provides staff and faculty with a way to give feedback to University leaders. The results help us identify our strengths and areas where we have opportunity for improvement.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Why do we participate in the Great Colleges to Work For survey?

    The results provide important information to help us continue to be a model employer. The results help us identify our strengths and areas where we have opportunity for improvement.

  • When did we last participate in the survey?

    We participated 2010, 2012, 2015, and most recently in 2018.

  • What is the Chronicle Great Colleges Program?

    ModernThink, LLC is the research partner for the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Great Colleges Program. Now in its eighth year, the program is designed to recognize institutions that are great places to work and to compile detailed benchmarking data about industry trends. The assessment for the Chronicle’s Great College’s Program consists of two parts: The ModernThink Institution Questionnaire© and the ModernThink Higher Education Insight Survey©. All institutions must complete both parts of the assessment to be considered for recognition in the program.

  • What areas does the survey focus on?

    The survey solicits feedback on a broad range of topics, focused around the following themes:

    • Job Satisfaction/Support
    • Teaching Environment
    • Career Development, Research and Scholarship
    • Compensation and Benefits
    • Facilities and Security
    • Policies, Resources and Efficiency
    • Collaboration
    • Respect and Appreciation
    • Participation in University Governance
    • Connection to Institution and Pride
    • Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship
    • Confidence in Senior Leadership
    • Faculty, Administration and Staff Relations
    • Internal Communication
    • Fairness

    In addition to the 60 core survey statements, there are 16 benefit satisfaction questions, 2 open-ended questions, and 7 custom questions.

  • Where have we shown the most improvement since 2015?

    Overall, faculty and staff report progress on the following statements:

    • We have opportunities to contribute to important decisions in my department.
    • People in my department work well together.
    • This institution’s policies and practices give me the flexibility to manage my work and personal life.
    • There is appropriate recognition of innovative and high quality teaching.
    • My supervisor/department chair supports my efforts to balance my work and personal life.
    • Overall, my department is a good place to work.
  • When will I hear more about the results of the survey?

    Results will be available for distribution in the fall of 2018.

  • What does the category titled ’2018 FAS + 4 Year’ in the Topline Survey Results mean?

    Schools have a choice in how they participate. The most common method is for ModernThink to send invitations to only a sample of employees at a college or university. Some schools, like the University of Richmond, ask ModernThink to send survey invitations to all employees. This is called “over sampling”. The scores in the “2018 FAS + 4 Year” (Faculty, Administration and Staff) column represent the averages of those schools that oversampled by sending participation invitations to all employees.

  • How long is the survey and what is the format?

    The survey consists of 60 statements that employees respond to using a five-point agreement scale (Strongly Agree, Agree, Sometimes Agree/Sometimes Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree). Additionally, there is a Not Applicable response option. The survey instrument also includes a 16-item benefits satisfaction component, two open-ended questions, and seven custom questions.

    There are several demographic questions at the end of the survey (Gender, Age, Job Category, etc). Respondents are encouraged to provide responses to these but also have the option of skipping them.

  • Why are demographics asked about on the survey?

    The demographic information (e.g., gender, age, job role, etc.) helps the University better understand the patterns and themes in the survey data. As the confidentiality of the responses is critical, ModernThink does not report individual demographic data. Group demographic data is only reported when there are five or more respondents in a particular group. Although the demographics are an optional piece of the survey, employees are strongly encouraged to complete this information.

  • Who is eligible to participate in the survey?

    All full-time faculty and all full- and part-time staff members are invited and encouraged to participate in the survey.

  • How often will we participate in the survey?

    The University of Richmond plans to repeat the Great Colleges Survey process every three to four years. This year’s results will provide us with important comparative data so that we can chart our progress moving forward.

  • Whom can I contact with additional questions about the Great Colleges to Work For survey?

    If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions regarding the survey and/or the survey process, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Deborah White, Senior Research Analyst, at 484-1582 or dwhite2@richmond.edu, Carl Sorensn, Senior Associate Vice President, Human Resources, at 289-8025 or csorense@richmond.edu, or Liz Flood, ModernThink’s project manager for the University of Richmond Great Colleges to Work For survey, at 302-764-4477 x103.