Faculty survey results

 

The University of Washington chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) conducted a survey of UW faculty in spring of 2015. Results here. Questionnaire here.

2015 results Abstract.

In our second survey of University of Washington faculty, the UW chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has learned UW faculty feel state higher education financing remains the top policy goal of the institution. Among a number of strategic priorities, 87% of faculty respondents selected state higher education financing as the top issue. Faculty felt the best strategy for UW funding for the coming years was to increase Washington State public sector (tax-supported) funding, with 78% giving this method the highest ranking, followed by philanthropic donations (10%) and public-private partnerships with industry receiving (11%). There was also strong support for efforts to repair the UW’s faculty salary policy, with 62% of respondents giving it high priority. The 3rd and 4th highest ranked issues were to improve conditions for contingent faculty and lecturers (49%), and to ensure University administrative position searches are open to faculty participation (42%).

The typical faculty member raises 25% of his or her salary through grant-writing. Among those who raise at least some of their salary that way (nearly half, at 46%), more than half of their salaries (55%) are supported with grant dollars. Thirty six percent of respondents said AAUP should explore forming a collective bargaining union, while 32% were unsure about that and 32% said no to unionization. With the current proportion of non-tenured faculty personnel at the UW near 70% and increasing, 55% of respondents felt the UW needs more tenured faculty.

This year’s survey had 667 respondents. The large majority (85%) were working 75% time or more, with 39% at the full professor level and a 35% from the School of Medicine. Nearly half (44%) of respondents held tenure or tenure track positions. Males comprised 56% of respondents and the average age was 52 years. Finally, 8% of respondents were AAUP dues-paying members.

This year the AAUP survey included a section on child care needs, reported separately.

2014 results Abstract.

In a first-ever survey of University of Washington faculty, the UW chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has learned UW faculty feel state higher education financing is the top policy goal of the institution. Further, fully two thirds said UW officials are not satisfactorily advocating for higher education in the state legislature. The majority of respondents felt faculty involvement in governance was insufficient. More than half (57%) said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the performance of the UW president, and an even higher proportion (66%) said they were satisfied with the Provost. About one in four faculty members said they were dissatisfied with their deans, with that dissatisfaction a little higher for the medical school. The typical faculty member raises almost one-fourth of his or her salary through grant-writing, although among those who raise at least some of their salary that way (59%), they are raising 60% of their own salaries. Only a third (35%) said they felt well-supported at the UW, while 24% said they didn’t feel at all well-supported and their morale was low. About a third said AAUP should explore forming a collective bargaining union, while another third were unsure about that (another third said no to unionization). Nearly 600 respondents participated, with almost half (44%) at the full professor level and a third from the School of Medicine. Respondent demographics are broadly representative of the faculty as a whole.

Download 2014 results: Report of survey results final

 

Working for the faculty at the University of Washington