Faculty Well-Being North Carolina State University March 10, 2009 Committee on Faculty Well-Being

Faculty Well-Being Committee Faculty Well-Being Survey, 2007 Monthly meetings since January 08 Change in leadership Additional data analysis Identified similar findings in other reports –COACHE survey, Task Force on Women Faculty, Interdisciplinary Task Force

Sensitivity to Diversity Variance in satisfaction between tenured/tenure track and non-tenure track faculty Variance in satisfaction and retention between men and women Variance by age and career stage Variance by race

Primary Issues Building Productive Career Stages Creating a Community of Scholars & Teachers Balancing Work-Life Demands Inspiring Creative Leadership & Effective Communication

Career Stages Recommendations –Identify specific strategies to retain excellent faculty in all stages. –Teach coaching skills to senior faculty –Recognize that faculty work-life balance is experienced differently at each career stage –Review how time in rank varies among departments, especially for associate professors. –Review and evaluate the practices associated with promotion and time in rank (such as the impact of administrative responsibilities).

Sense of Community Recommendations at the University Level: Promote activities for new university faculty to meet others and develop a sense of community Build community through faculty initiated and administratively supported interdisciplinary seminars, informal journal clubs, reading groups and exhibitions that bring the campus community together Encourage and reward interdisciplinary activities through university sponsored websites and seed-grants

Sense of Community Recommendations at the University Level: Encourage and reward international interdisciplinary activities that engage the university community Provide faculty with amenities that foster community and collaboration (e.g., coffee, gym memberships) Establish an Interdisciplinary Center, examine current physical spaces on campus that may be used to house the Center Address the fundamental challenge of bringing the physically separate campuses together (The FWBAC plans to explore in detail next year, and will prepare a report on its findings and recommendations)

Sense of Community Recommendations at the Departmental Level: –Hold regular (at least monthly) departmental faculty meetings, social events and faculty retreats –Regularly communicate budget decisions that are transparent for full understanding –Strategically communicate with all faculty –Hold annual faculty reviews. Use separate mentoring with new faculty in particular –Appoint grant writing teams and other teams to work on common goals –Unit heads should present a “State of the Department’ report to the faculty – with successes, a completely transparent budget and challenges to be faced

9 Framework for Work-Life Life Fit Work- Life Fit

Recommendations: –Sensitivity to faculty personal needs when planning work events (e.g., time of meeting conflicts with child care hours) –Assure compatibility between new faculty and faculty mentors –Encourage faculty flextime for school conferences, medical appointments, etc –Encourage faculty wellness to include physical activity –Assure distribution of departmental tasks while discouraging faculty overload

Leadership & Communication Issues identified in survey Departments lack: –clear priorities –conflict resolution abilities –budget transparency –Faculty input on decisions made within departments Little provision of and equitable distribution of resources

Leadership & Communication Recommendations: Department head development Leadership development for faculty interested in personal growth opportunities Required mentoring system

Immediate Action Implement training and development program for department heads to: –Develop mentoring at all career stages; –Build a sense of departmental community with activities; –Be aware of work-life balance when planning schedules and –Utilize best ways/tools for communication. Develop a greater sense of community across the colleges.