Faculty Retention & Exit Survey: Survey Administration Timeline & Resources
The Faculty Retention & Exit Survey is administered to full-time faculty who, in the prior academic year, experienced a retention action or a voluntary separation. The Survey is conducted annually for three years to build a robust dataset that illuminates the causes, costs, and conduct surrounding faculty's mobility.
The months leading up to the survey launch are critical to achieving a strong, representative response rate. In line with our research–practice partnership model, we have created a set of steps and resources to help you prepare for a successful survey administration. Beginning in July, you will receive detailed instructions and reminders via email (please add Shabreena_DanzLopez@gse.harvard.edu to your contacts list to ensure you receive them).
To get started, familiarize yourself with the survey administration process by watching the video or reviewing the timeline below. All supporting materials are conveniently embedded within the timeline.
Survey Year 1
Update your IRB status in your partner portal.
COACHE has completed its own Institutional Review Boards (IRB) review through Harvard University’s Committee on the Use of Human Subjects. For the majority of COACHE member institutions, a copy of the Harvard approval letter (see below) is sufficient to approve the Faculty Retention & Exit Survey on their campuses.
Please reach out to your local IRB office with the letter and confirm if additional steps are needed. Then, update your IRB status in your partner portal. Please note that any campus with a pending IRB status cannot begin survey administration with the full cohort.
If your IRB office requires more to approve this survey research, or you have additional questions about the IRB review process, please refer to the resource “Complying with Institutional Review Boards” below.
Resources:
- Download "Human Subjects Approval Letter"
More about "Complying with Institutional Review Boards"
Identify colleagues whose assistance is essential for building the population file.
Building your Population File for the Faculty Retention and Exit Survey often depends on how data and responsibilities are organized on your campus. Begin by identifying the key people you’ll need to collaborate with to make this project successful.
At some institutions, a small core group—such as the Provost or Vice Provost for Faculty—may be sufficient.
At others, where information about faculty departures and retentions is more dispersed, you may also need to involve Deans, Associate Deans, or other academic administrators.
Select data disclosure preference and upload the Statement of Data Confidentiality.
COACHE offers two options for receiving your Exit and Retention survey data. Institutions may choose to:
- Receive only the COACHE report and not the record level (de-identified) data, or
- Receive both the COACHE report and the record level (de-identified) data.
You must select your data disclosure option during Survey Year 1, before the survey launches. This choice determines the informed consent form that faculty at your institution will receive and cannot be changed in subsequent survey years.
You can review the pros and cons of each option below. Once you’ve made your decision, please fill out the "Statement of Data Confidentiality" and upload to your partner portal.
Resources:
- Download "Statement of Data Confidentiality"
- Understanding Pros and Cons of Data Disclosure Options (see below)
Determine which faculty populations you wish to survey.
For robust data, COACHE suggests that you include retentions and voluntary departures among full-time faculty. You may also survey faculty who are preemptively retained, if the information is available. Those faculty are routed through a shorter version of the survey instrument.
If you have questions about the eligible survey population, you can refer to the first page of the “Building Your Master Population File” resource below.
Prepare the database in Excel format using our provided template.
Please download the excel template below.
Follow best practices when assembling your population file.
- May: Contact Deans/Chairs before summer administration turnover.
- June: Share population file parameters with your Institutional Research (IR) team.
- Please share the “Building Your Master Population File” resource with your IR team. This information will help them understand the eligible survey population, identify academic areas, and review the population variables for this survey.
- July-August: Compile your population file and have it reviewed by a senior administrator in faculty affairs.
- In our experience, some individuals identified as technically eligible are not appropriate to include in this study. Always ensure that the final population has been vetted by someone with knowledge of, for example, tenure denials and “confidential negotiated settlements.”
- September: Ask your IR team to run final audit of your population file.
Resources:
- Download "Building Your Master Population File”
- Excel Download "Population File Template"
Watch "Ask the Right Questions of the Population File"
Upload your population file to the partner portal. Do not email any faculty data to COACHE directly.
COACHE will review your population file and reach out to you with any questions or feedback. To ensure the highest level of survey data integrity, please respond to communications as soon as possible.
Wait for COACHE’s “greenlight” message to release your endorsement letter.
COACHE will notify institutions when the survey is ready to launch. At that point, institutional contacts can send out the endorsement letter to faculty in the final population file regarding the upcoming survey launch date.
Survey response rates tend to improve when a university official—typically a provost or vice provost—endorses the COACHE study, reinforces the confidentiality of responses, and affirms a commitment to action. We provide an IRB-approved endorsement letter template (see below). If you prefer to customize your own, please submit it to COACHE for approval before distribution.
Please note that you may not offer “incentives” to encourage survey completion. COACHE automatically enters all survey completers into a drawing for an Apple Watch. Any additional incentives fall outside the current IRB protocol.
Notify COACHE of returned or “bounced” emails.
Since you will be the first to contact these faculty, you will be the first to know if the email addresses you supplied in the final population file are valid. If any messages are returned to you, please notify COACHE along with the old and new email addresses, if applicable.
Resources:
- Download "Sample Endorsement Letters"
Survey window is October – December.
Congratulations! You’ve now completed data collection for Year 1.
Pro tip: Preparation of the Year 2 population file begins in May. Please mark your calendar and plan conversations early to compile your list of known departures and retentions.