The Annual Faculty Opinion Survey
The Annual Faculty Opinion Survey (A.F.O.S) concluded on December 18, 2015. The results have been now categorized, tabulated and released for review. SAFA would like to take this opportunity to thank all those members that procured the time to participate in the survey via Survey Monkey. The 2015 Faculty Survey has gone through a change in its format from that of previous years, and many of the questions have been re-aligned to provide a coherent flow to the answering process. Although many of the questions were similar in their description, there were several newer questions added in order to stay current with the Institution’s climate and the validation of the new management regime. Moreover, several members provided feedback regarding the vagueness of some of the questions. We apologize if those questions may have been unclear in their explanation, adjustments will be made for next year’s survey.
Changes to the restructure of the Annual Faculty Opinion Survey was done collaboratively and in consultation with the Faculty Council and the SAFA Executive. The combined input gave a broader and more accurate rationalization for the questions proposed. Moreover, the Survey questions articulated the principles outlined in the Institutional Strategic Plan, and presented the opportunity for Faculty members to provide their input. The A.F.O.S was designed to encapsulate any changes, concerns, recognitions and observations regarding the climate within the Institution. Furthermore, Faculty were encouraged to provide their personal comments in the comment box provided, which I am proud to say was done in a professional and ethical manner. The A.F.O.S is intended to be confidential, and every effort is made by SAFA to ensure that the integrity of the individual stakeholder and their comments are upheld. The Faculty Association have no influence over faculty members in their decisions to participate or not in the A.F.O.S, nor do we restrict a member’s right in voicing their opinions in the General Comment section.
Number of respondents was 230, a little less than SAFA anticipated given the size of the membership. A few responses that seem to resonate more than others were those for Academic Chairs, Associate Deans, Deans and Directors and Senior Management. 212 responded to the Academic Chair/Manager category with a large percentage of the responses reflecting on the “Very Well” and “Well “columns. Most interesting was the Senior Management questions that reverberated a large percentage from the “I don’t know “, column. The remaining Middle Management sections, Associate Deans, identified 153 respondents, and Dean /Director received 198 responses.
The SAFA office, and more directly the President of the Faculty Association, take much gratification in providing professional communications to the membership – via – monthly letters; the SAFAGRAM; SAFA’s website and now the new FaceBook link. Correspondences forwarded to the membership through the aforementioned avenues focus on activities promoted and supported by SAFA for the members. This also included the recognition of Faculty members and their achievements, current events that are relevant to the time of year and the Institutional climate. SAFA is very aware of the cultural diversity of the Faculty within the Institution, and are respectful of all its members’ views; communications are void of any political assertions or biased comments.
The Annual Faculty Opinion Survey results will be void of any historical data as this is the first year of the re-designed survey. Also available on the link are the results of the 2015 ACIFA Climate Survey. The ACIFA Survey encapsulates all Faculty responses from the fifteen colleges in Alberta. Several colleges across the province had a strong percentage of participation, SAIT in 2015 had a lower participation rate. The A.F.O.S and the ACIFA Survey Results can be viewed on the SAFA website.
Furthermore, participation in the survey processes at the Institution can, from certain members of the Faculty, be met with some skepticism. Additionally, the surveys can be viewed, at times, as an inconvenience more than a productive commodity. Moreover, the once highly acclaimed Hays Survey has seen participation over the past several years significantly lower than when it was first introduced. For the most part, the confidentiality portion of the Hay Survey was met with much suspicion. Moreover, the results from the Hays Survey had very little to no impact on the Instructional out-comes of the Institution, Faculty concerns or management performances. In retrospect, Faculty were gradually becoming “tuned out”.
Conversely, though, the introduction of the new “Employee Engagement” survey administered through Gallup has a much different look than that of the previous Hays Survey.
The “New” Employee Engagement Survey was rolled out in February 2015. Several information sessions were provided within the Institution, conducted by Employee Services. The survey proposes only 27 questions, significantly less than that of the Hays Survey. The emphasis of this is to “Engage” Faculty. Results from the Employee Engagement Survey are to be shared some time in March.
As tedious as these Institutional surveys may seem, they are the methods by which the Faculty at large have the opportunity to provide, in confidence, their feelings regarding the operation and management of the Institution. As SAIT is our place of employment, it would seem only logical that we would use the survey process to influence change and stability to our working environment.
James McWilliams
SAFA President