Vanderbilt University staff and faculty were encouraged to participate in a pair of surveys launched in February of 2020. Staff members were invited to complete the 2020 Staff Engagement Survey. Vanderbilt University-employed faculty participated in the national COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey. These surveys are a confidential way for university leaders to collect feedback in order to recognize what Vanderbilt is doing well and where improvements are needed. The goal of both surveys is to create a stronger workplace.
Surveys are the latest in a series of efforts by university leaders to seek feedback from the Vanderbilt community on key issues. Among staff, these efforts have included Campus Listening Sessions hosted by Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. André L. Churchwell, Vice Chancellor for Administration Eric Kopstain, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Safety and Special Initiatives August Washington and Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for People and Business Services Laura Nairon.
All part-time and full-time benefits-eligible staff hired on or before December 16, 2019, were invited to take the Staff Engagement Survey, which was administered by Gallup, an independent research-based consulting company. The confidential web-based survey consisted of approximately 40 questions. The survey was available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic, and translation assistance was available for Bosnian/Serbo-Croatian, Swahili and Kurdish speakers. Gallup administer the entire survey independently of Vanderbilt. The university only received the aggregated results.
Staff members received instructions on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The subject line included Vanderbilt Staff Engagement Survey. The confidential survey was taken online. Computer labs for employees who did not have computer access was held in the Baker Building 10th Floor Training Room on Feb 11 & 19. The survey closed on Friday, Feb. 21.
The survey measures staff engagement, which indicates employees’ investment in and enthusiasm for their work. An engaged staff member is in a role that uses their talents; they know the scope of their job; and they are always looking for new and different ways to achieve the outcomes of their role.
The survey focused on items aimed at measuring the individual needs of staff and the degree to which Vanderbilt is providing clarity, support, encouragement and development for all. Vanderbilt leadership will use the survey’s findings to identify priorities for providing the information, resources and support staff needed to carry out the work and mission of the university. Managers will use the results to create action plans with their teams to address areas of concern, such as culture, relationships with supervisors, training and education opportunities, pay and benefits, communication, and work environment.
For questions, contact EmployeeEngagementSurvey@vanderbilt.edu