PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
City University of New York (CUNY)
Providing faculty with measurable results that show continued progress is a key step in the process.
Leadership has used COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey findings from 2015 and 2019 to take a data-driven approach to increasing faculty satisfaction across the system while also identifying insights unique to individual campuses, explains Dr. Annemarie Nicols-Grinenko, University Dean for Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development. She is currently also serving as Interim Senior University Dean and Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Policy at CUNY.
From a system-wide perspective, Dr. Nicols-Grinenko highlights three particularly noteworthy outcomes that have emerged from the COACHE process: ensuring more input from faculty on the activities of the Central Office; the charging of a task force to make recommendations about the development of clear guidelines on how research, teaching, and service are considered in tenure and promotion; and negotiating a reduced teaching workload.
“We’re using the data to both advocate for and justify faculty support. This has been helpful at the system level as well as campus level,” says Dr. Nicols- Grinenko. And importantly, faculty have been noticing the changes. After the most recent COACHE results, each participating CUNY campus was asked to make recommendations based on the data, and Dr. Nicols- Grinenko says she has heard positive feedback from colleagues about changes that have been implemented as a result.
We’re using the data to both advocate for and justify faculty support.
Dr. John Verzani, Chair of the CUNY University Faculty Senate, has been involved in both COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Surveys. He says the ability to do cross-campus comparisons has been valuable, as well as comparing the university level and the campus level — particularly when looking at the results over a period of time and comparing several survey cycles.
“Campuses are establishing new positions to deal with faculty issues, new faculty awards and recognition opportunities, mentoring programs, leadership development programs, and DEI programs,” he says. He adds that he was “wowed” by how many of the campuses improved against their benchmark measures from the previous COACHE survey.
There’s steady progress —— and there’s a measurable outcome from that progress that makes a big difference in cultivating real trust.
Dr. Verzani also sees that trust is growing among faculty as they engage with the COACHE process and see that their voices are being heard. “There’s steady progress — and there’s a measurable outcome from that progress that makes a big difference in cultivating real trust. It’s creating a real appreciation of faculty and administrators working together to try to make things better.”
CUNY began its third COACHE survey cycle in 2022, and CUNY leadership is looking forward to diving into the results.
This story appeared in COACHE’s recently released Impact Report, “Partners in Progress”. Read the full report here.