FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas staff were invited to fill out a confidential online Staff Campus Climate Survey in May. The survey was developed as a collaboration between the Staff Senate and Human Resources department, working with faculty and staff in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

The purpose of the survey is to measure staff members’ perceptions, attitudes, job satisfaction and engagement, identifying strengths and concerns about work place issues, professional development, benefits and access to resources, among other topics. The results will enable the Staff Senate and U of A administration to direct resources toward meeting staff needs. Additional Campus Climate Surveys will be conducted every two years to help assess the progress being made toward this goal.

The survey was sent out to 3,299 U of A staff members and 1,051 responded, a rate of 31.9 percent. The survey had 109 questions covering several overall topics and the results were analyzed by staff from the Center for Business and Economic Research.

Topics covered in the survey included workplace engagement, leadership, by both senior administration and immediate supervisors, perceptions of the job experience, satisfaction with work, pay, benefits and the university as an employer, as well as whether staff members intend to leave or remain at their job.

Overall, a significant majority of U of A staff responded positively to questions including:

• Overall satisfaction with job, pay and the university, 63 percent positive
• Overall engagement rate, 71 percent positive
• Perceived supervisor support, 78 percent positive
• Retirement satisfaction, 78 percent positive
• Leave benefits satisfaction, 85 percent positive

There were a few exceptions where feedback was less than 50 percent positive, including the following areas:

• Perceived fairness, 47 percent positive
• Perceived organizational support, 41 percent positive
• Healthcare benefits, 47 percent positive
• Flexible spending accounts reimbursement for health care and dependent care, 48 percent and 33 percent positive respectively.

The survey results were also broken down in various categories, including by gender, age, classified and non-classified, salary, college and unit. Highlights from these breakdowns include:

• Men and women rarely differed by more than a few percentage points in most categories, with women generally slightly more positive.
• Staff members 25 and under were significantly more positive in their responses than the overall average in nearly every category.
• Non-classified staff responded more positively than classified staff in almost every category.
• Despite not responding as positively as non-classified staff overall, classified staff still responded positively in most categories.
• Staff members making lower salaries expressed lower levels of positive feelings and satisfaction.
• The majority of staff knew how to file a grievance or report discrimination, but a significant percentage expressed discomfort about doing so.
• Women reported being less comfortable with reporting discrimination or a rule violation than men did.

The full report and analysis can be found online, and includes all of the individual questions, as well as the responses.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.