2006 Faculty Well-Being Survey:
Reappointment, Promotion & Tenure
&
Post-Tenure Review
Presentation for NC State Faculty Senate
February 27, 2007
Nancy Whelchel, PhD
Assistant Director for Survey Research
University Planning and Analysis
http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/survey/faculty/
1
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
2
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
3
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)
4
Performance Reviews

Indication of no performance review
– By Rank
•
•
•
•
6%
7%
8%
6%
Full Profs
Assoc Profs
Assist Profs
Lecturers
– By Number of Years at NC State
•
•
•
•
9%
5%
7%
6%
< 7yrs
7-15 yrs
16-25 yrs
>25 yrs
5
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%)
6
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
7
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)
8
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
9
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
10
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
11
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”
12
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
13
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
14
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?”
15
The stress 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
16
Lecturer Assist Assoc Full **
Stress from RPT by rank * gender
9.2
Male
Female
23.8
25.0
Male
21.2
29.0
39.8
42.4
Female
Male
32.2
46.1
35.3
39.7
Female
Male 7.9
Female
39.5
27.3
0
46.6
36.4
20
40
60
80
100
Percent of Respondents
Great deal
Some
17
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)
18
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)
19
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
20
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
21
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
22
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.
23