UT Austin Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey

What is the UT Austin Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey?

The UT Austin Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey, developed by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), is an electronic survey devoted to studying the postsecondary faculty experience. This is UT Austin’s most comprehensive faculty survey, covering topics such as overall satisfaction with the university, aspects of the university experience, opportunities for improvement, and faculty experiences in terms of diversity and inclusion. This is the only faculty survey that UT Austin pays to participate in, and the only one for which data from peer institutions is obtained.

What is COACHE?

COACHE, or the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education, is a research initiative within Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

Who is eligible to take the survey?

Most tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible to take the survey, and professional-track (“non-tenure track”) faculty who are benefits-eligible (with at least a 50% teaching load) are also eligible. Dell Medical School faculty are not eligible to take this survey. And faculty with unique relationships to the university, such as Visiting Professors, are not included in the survey sample. Faculty who are eligible to take the survey will receive an email from coachefaculty@abtsurvey.com.

How many faculty members have participated in previous administrations of the survey?

Response rates indicate the percentage of faculty that answered the survey out of the total number of eligible faculty invited to take the survey. Our 2017 response rate was 36%, and our 2020 response rate was 34%. Our goal for 2023 is a 50% response rate.

Who manages the survey data?

The data are collected by the Harvard Graduate School of Education via COACHE. After data collection, Harvard removes all identifying information from the data, and sends the de-identified data to UT Austin’s Office of Institutional Reporting, Research, and Information Systems (IRRIS). The data are stored on a secure server managed by IRRIS. At UT Austin, only IRRIS can have access to and analyze the data.

What is done with the results of the survey?

After Harvard sends IRRIS the data, IRRIS creates aggregate static reports and interactive dashboards of the data to be shared with UT Austin Faculty, academic leadership, and other university stakeholders to support evidence-based decision making across the university. Cell sizes less than five are never shared in any summary reports to ensure data anonymity. Access to the 2020 Survey result highlights, summary report, and interactive dashboard can be accessed on this site using the links on the right-hand side of the page.

Furthermore, results will be presented to faculty at various council meetings, including deans’ council, faculty council, and equity council meetings. Additional presentations can be conducted upon request.

Are there incentives associated with the survey?

UT Austin did not provide incentives for completing the Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey for its 2017 or 2020 administrations, but will for the Spring 2023 administration. The current incentive plan is as follows:

• The total amount offered will be $950.
• All incentives will be Visa gift cards, distributed electronically.
• Prizes:
  • Grand prize: 1 $450 gift card provided to respondent who completed the survey AND who works in the CSU with the highest response rate.
  • Second prize: 1 $250 gift card provided to respondent who completed the survey AND who works in the CSU with the second highest response rate.
  • Third prize: 2 $125 gift cards provided to random respondents who completed the survey from any CSU.
• Instructions for how to become eligible for an incentive can be found here.

Whom should I contact with COACHE 2023 questions?

You can contact IRRIS via IRRISsurveys@austin.utexas.edu.