Aspects of Faculty Work Life:

Category	Factor Scale – Variable	Survey Question – Variable Identification	Response Options
Faculty Time Allocation	Administrative Activities	What is the level of faculty involvement in your institution on the following: 1. Resource allocation 2. Student recruitment policies and decisions	1=no involvement 2=little involvement 3=moderate involvement 4=strong involvement 5=very strong involvement

	Network/Mentor Colleagues (alpha = .65)	How frequently do you do each of the following? 1. Talk with colleagues regularly about ways in which we can improve our teaching 2. Have a network of colleagues with whom I discuss teaching issues 3. Make an effort to mentor graduate students and junior faculty in their own teaching	1=not at all 2=occasionally 3=frequently

	Undergraduate Education and Service (alpha = .46)	In a typical week during the past term, how many hours did you spend pursuing the following activities? 1. Undergraduate education committees (including thesis and examinations) 2. Undergraduate student advising 3. Institutional service (committees, administrative duties) 4. External service (including professional organizations and civic projects)	1=1 hour or less 2=2 to 4 hours 3=5 to 10 hours 4=11 to 15 hours 5=16 or more hours

	Research Scholarship (alpha = .53)	In a typical week during the past term, how many hours did you spend pursuing the following activities? 1. Scholarship/professional growth (expanding your knowledge of the field) 2. Research (activities leading to a product) 3. Teaching (including class time, grading, lab, preparing for class) 4. Professional consulting for pay	1=1 hour or less 2=2 to 4 hours 3=5 to 10 hours 4=11 to 15 hours 5=16 or more hours

	Graduate Education	In a typical week during the past term, how many hours did you spend pursuing the following activities? 1. Graduate education committees (including thesis and examinations) 2. Graduate student advising	1=1 hour or less 2=2 to 4 hours 3=5 to 10 hours 4=11 to 15 hours 5=16 or more hours

	Interdisciplinary Teaching	How frequently have you engaged in each of the following activities? 1. Participated in intensive writing or research projects with other faculty 2. Collaborated with colleagues from the same field of study	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently

Faculty Time Allocation/ Professional Development	Attend or Present at a Workshop (alpha = .76)	In the past three years, how many times have you performed each of these activities? 1. Attended a faculty development workshop presented by your institution’s teaching and learning center 2. Presented a faculty development workshop 3. Attended a teaching workshop sponsored by your disciplinary association 4. Attended a faculty development workshop sponsored by your department 5. Presented a teaching workshop sponsored by your disciplinary association	1=never 2=every 2-3 years 3=annually 4=more than once a year

	Informal Activities	In the past three years, how many times have you performed each of these activities? 1. Discussed teaching with colleagues 2. Participated in informal teaching development activities with colleagues	1=never 2=every 2-3 years 3=annually 4=more than once a year

Pedagogy (Innovative)	Encouraging Peer Learning (alpha = .80)	How important are each of these activities at your institution? 1. Creating small communities where students’ academic and social environments are seamless 2. Assisting cohorts of students in taking a series of linked introductory courses/sections 3. Encouraging more faculty involvement in discussions about teaching improvement 4. Using student peer groups to reinforce course learning 5. Encouraging faculty to do research on how students learn in their classes	1=not important 2=somewhat important 3=very important 4=essential

	Use In-class Technology (alpha = .48)	In how many of your undergraduate courses do you do each of the following? 1. Use an electronic assessment method 2. Use computer-based practice exercises 3. Provide a course web page	1=none 2=some 3=most 4=all

	Interdisciplinary Teaching (alpha = .59)	How frequently have you engaged in each of the following activities? 1. Team taught a course 2. Participated in interdisciplinary course development or projects 3. Offered a course listed in more than one department	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently

	Use Innovative Techniques (alpha = .68)	How frequently do you do each of the following? 1. Introduce new or experimental teaching strategies in class 2. Depend on the same teaching routines year after year 3. Expect students to guide the discussion and activities for a majority of class time 4. Create regular assignments that have many different correct answers or approaches	1=not at all 2=occasionally 3=frequently

	Encourage Student Collaboration (alpha = .65)	How frequently do you do each of the following? 1. Encourage students to act as “peer mentors” to others in review or discussion sections 2. Ask students directly whether they understand course material 3. Encourage students to collaborate on course work through study groups or internet discussions	1=not at all 2=occasionally 3=frequently

	Expanding Student Horizons (alpha = .72)	How important are each of these activities at your institution? 1. Including multicultural issues/readings in the general education curriculum 2. Coordinating the improvement of student writing skills across all disciplines 3. Providing students with experiential learning opportunities to supplement course content	1=not important 2=somewhat important 3=very important 4=essential

	Encourage Student Involvement (alpha = .60)	How frequently do you do each of the following? 1. Work to get students to ask questions during class 2. Listen to students' concerns, and take them into account in my teaching 3. Design classes to be highly interactive	1=not at all 2=occasionally 3=frequently

	Use Active Learning (alpha = .82)	In how many of your undergraduate courses do you do each of the following? 1. Require multiple drafts of student written work for progressive feedback 2. Lecture extensively 3. Use small group work/group projects 4. Use short in-class writing exercises (e.g. one minute papers) to quickly assess student understanding of course material 5. Require student in-class presentations 6. Collect and evaluate portfolios of student work 7. Explicitly state to students your goals for student learning	1=none 2=some 3=most 4=all

	Cross-Disciplinary Teaching (alpha = .72)	How frequently have you engaged in each of the following activities? 1. Included reading on theories and scholarship from other fields in your teaching 2. Drew on theories and scholarship from other disciplines to enhance your own work 3. Collaborated with colleagues from outside your discipline on teaching issues 4. Consulted literature on teaching and learning to inform your teaching 5. Met with students outside of formally scheduled times 6. Spent a good amount of class time addressing student questions	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently

Pedagogy (Assessment)	Provide Feedback (alpha = .56)	How frequently have you engaged in each of the following activities? 1. Provided feedback more than three times each term to all students 2. Limited all student feedback to final course grades 3. Utilized short class activities to assess whether students have grasped concepts 4. Provided feedback to students immediately after each assessment 5. Stopped lectures to make sure students understood the material	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently

Pedagogy (Innovative Assessment)	Self-Evaluation (alpha = .62)	In how many of your undergraduate courses do you do each of the following? 1. Have another faculty member review my teaching for feedback 2. Use service learning experiences 3. Try new teaching practices 4. Use student performance information to evaluate my own teaching	1=none 2=some 3=most 4=all

Pedagogy (Traditional Assessment)	Traditional Testing	In how many of your undergraduate courses do you do each of the following? 1. Use a standardized test 2. Use a department-wide examination	1=none 2=some 3=most 4=all

Pedagogy (Teaching Support)	Teaching Support Resources (alpha = .87)	At this institution, how would you evaluate the facilities, resources, or personnel supporting your work? 1. Support to implement changes in teaching 2. Funds to develop teaching/learning initiatives 3. Resources for student assessment activity 4. Faculty development workshops 5. Assistance with teaching skill development 6. Release time for course development or faculty development 7. Department funds for teaching 8. Institutional funds for teaching 9. Travel funds	1=not available 2=poor 3=fair 4=good 5=excellent

	Other Support/Resources (alpha = .82)	At this institution, how would you evaluate the facilities, resources, or personnel supporting your work? 1. Technology for teaching 2. Classrooms 3. Laboratories 4. Computer facilities 5. Colleagues in the department 6. Secretarial support 7. Library holdings	1=not available 2=poor 3=fair 4=good 5=excellent

Satisfaction/ Environment	Collegiality and Support (alpha = .81)	How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following aspects of your job at this institution? 1. Support for teaching and learning 2. Support for assessment activities 3. Collegiality in your department 4. Relationships with administrators	1=very dissatisfied 2=somewhat dissatisfied 3=somewhat satisfied 4=very satisfied

	Fair and Equitable (alpha = .68)	To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your institution? 1. Female faculty are treated fairly here 2. Faculty who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups are treated fairly 3. There has been pressure to increase faculty workload here 4. The administration is often autocratic	1=very much worse 2=somewhat worse 3=about the same 4=somewhat improved 5=very much improved

	Innovation and Flexibility	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about rewards at your institution. 1. Faculty receive public recognition and rewards for innovative or effective use of student assessment 2. The tenure/promotion system is flexible in terms of weight given to teaching, research, and service	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Job Structure (alpha = .80)	How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following aspects of your job at this institution? 1. Opportunity for advancement 2. Your job security 3. Your work load 4. Department support for promotion and tenure 5. Your salary/benefits	1=very dissatisfied 2=somewhat dissatisfied 3=somewhat satisfied 4=very satisfied

Teaching Valued by Institution	Values Collaboration and Teaching (alpha = .79)	To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your institution? 1. My institution is striving for a national reputation for high quality teaching 2. Coordination of assessment activities among faculty and administrators has improved 3. Administrators work collaboratively with faculty 4. Administrators are collegial 5. My institution is trying to increase its research reputation at the expense of teaching 6. There are clear policies that support collaborative work here	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Course Development (alpha = .62)	How centralized are each of the following activities at your institution? 1. Determination of coursework requirements 2. Development of final exams 3. Decisions regarding course content 4. Development of teaching techniques	1=no coordination 2=voluntary by ad-hoc faculty groups 3=department 4=college or school 5=institution

	Evaluation of Teaching	How centralized are each of the following activities at your institution? 1. Student evaluations of teaching 2. Faculty peer evaluations of teaching	1=no coordination 2=voluntary by ad-hoc faculty groups 3=department 4=college or school 5=institution

	Student Learning-based Evaluations (alpha = .74)	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about rewards at your institution. 1. Faculty evaluation for annual salary and merit increases incorporates evidence of student performance 2. Faculty evaluation for promotion considers evidence of student performance in their classes (not just student teaching evaluations) 3. Merit/salary increases are adequate here 4. Scholarship on teaching is considered in promotion, tenure, and salary reviews 5. Faculty scholarship on or innovative uses of student assessment is considered in promotion, tenure, or salary reviews	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Rewards for Teaching	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about rewards at your institution. 1. The most highly rewarded faculty are those oriented primarily toward research 2. One can be promoted and tenured primarily on the basis of teaching	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Program Quality (alpha = .81)	In the last five years, how have each of these changed at your institution? 1. The quality of undergraduate education 2. The ability of this institution to meet the educational needs of entering undergraduate students 3. The quality of learning that students in my program achieve 4. Knowledge about how to better prepare undergraduates	1=very much worse 2=somewhat worse 3=about the same 4=somewhat improved 5=very much improved

	Support for Student Learning (alpha = .74)	Please indicate your agreement with each of the following statements about your department. 1. Allows student input on academic program issues 2. Encourages faculty to work with other campus units to improve student learning 3. Is recognized by faculty on other campuses for its approach to teaching, learning and assessment 4. Is perceived as a campus leader on issues of student assessment	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Rewards for Research	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about rewards at your institution. 1. The most highly rewarded faculty are those oriented primarily toward research 2. One can be promoted and tenured primarily on the basis of teaching	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Teaching Support Resources (alpha = .87)	At this institution, how would you evaluate the facilities, resources, or personnel supporting your work? 1. Support to implement changes in teaching 2. Funds to develop teaching/learning initiatives 3. Resources for student assessment activity 4. Faculty development workshops 5. Assistance with teaching skill development 6. Release time for course development or faculty development 7. Department funds for teaching 8. Institutional funds for teaching 9. Travel funds	1=not available 2=poor 3=fair 4=good 5=excellent

Personal Value of Teaching	Network/Mentor Colleagues (alpha = .65)	How frequently do you do each of the following? 1. Talk with colleagues regularly about ways in which we can improve our teaching 2. Have a network of colleagues with whom I discuss teaching issues 3. Make an effort to mentor graduate students and junior faculty in their own teaching	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently 4=almost always

Value of Research	Research Reputation	To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your institution? 1. There is a concerted institutional effort to increase grant-funded research 2. My institution is trying to increase its national ranking	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Research Resource Support (alpha = .77)	At this institution, how would you evaluate the facilities, resources, or personnel supporting your work? 1. Funding opportunities for research 2. Research equipment and instruments 3. Funds and administrator support for collaborative work	1=not available 2=poor 3=fair 4=good 5=excellent

	Research Scholarship (alpha = .53)	In a typical week during the past term, how many hours did you spend pursuing the following activities? 1. Scholarship/professional growth (expanding your knowledge of the field) 2. Research (activities leading to a product) 3. Teaching (including class time, grading, lab, preparing for class) 4. Professional consulting for pay	1=1 hour or less 2=2 to 4 hours 3=5 to 10 hours 4=11 to 15 hours 5=16 or more hours

Nature of Scholarship in Disciplines	Importance of Collaboration (alpha = .77)	Please indicate your level of agreement with the following views about scholarship in your discipline? 1. Today's complex research problems require the multiple perspectives that collaborative scholarship can provide 2. An increase in interdisciplinary scholarship would revitalize current work 3. Recent important advances in my field are the result of collaboration 4. Recent departures from traditional research are fundamentally important to the discipline 5. Employee and professional association requirements influence what is taught 6. Traditional scholarship as it was practiced in general 20 years ago is no longer relevant	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Change in the Nature of Inquiry	In your opinion, how much have the following aspects of academic work in your discipline changed in the past 15 to 20 years? 1. Uniformity of research methods 2. Kinds of work performed by scholars	1=not at all changed 2=slightly changed 3=somewhat changed 4=greatly changed

	Paradigm Shift (alpha = .76)	In your opinion, how much have the following aspects of academic work in your discipline changed in the past 15 to 20 years? 1. Conceptions about teaching 2. Differentiation from other disciplines 3. Conceptions of knowledge 4. The nature of inquiry 5. Basic concepts	1=not at all changed 2=slightly changed 3=somewhat changed 4=greatly changed

	Reliance on Traditional Approach (alpha = .54)	Please indicate your level of agreement with the following views about scholarship in your discipline? 1. A single paradigm informs most current inquiry 2. Scholarship operates more or less on the assumption that knowledge is absolute regardless of context 3. In general, students now emerge with an inferior command of essential facts 4. Expanding and improving a central set of facts is the main focus of scholarship 5. Relativism in recent scholarship sacrifices rigor	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

Keeping Current/ Professional Development	From Conferences and Publications (alpha = .69)	How do you learn to use new teaching, learning or assessment techniques? 1. Publications in my discipline 2. Faculty development workshops 3. Disciplinary conferences 4. General higher education publications	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently 4=almost always

	From Faculty (alpha = .65)	How do you learn to use new teaching, learning or assessment techniques? 1. Discussion in faculty meetings 2. Presentations by faculty in your department 3. Conversations with faculty colleagues	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently 4=almost always

	From Students	How do you learn to use new teaching, learning or assessment techniques? 1. Your undergraduate students 2. Your graduate students	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently 4=almost always

	Informal Activities	In the past three years, how many times have you performed each of these activities? 1. Discussed teaching with colleagues 2. Participated in informal teaching development activities with colleagues	1=never 2=Every 2 or 3 years 3=Annually 4=More than once a year

	From in-house expert	How do you learn to use new teaching, learning or assessment techniques? 1. A designated master teacher in your department	1=never 2=occasionally 3=frequently 4=almost always

	Attend or Present at a Workshop (alpha = .76)	In the past three years, how many times have you performed each of these activities? 1. Attended a faculty development workshop presented by your institution’s teaching and learning center 2. Presented a faculty development workshop 3. Attended a teaching workshop sponsored by your disciplinary association 4. Attended a faculty development workshop sponsored by your department 5. Presented a teaching workshop sponsored by your disciplinary association	1=never 2=Every 2 or 3 years 3=Annually 4=More than once a year

Beliefs about Students	Improvement in Academic Ability (alpha = .85)	Please rate the growth undergraduate students demonstrate in your department from college entry to graduation. 1. Problem solving ability 2. Competitiveness on the job market 3. General academic ability 4. Mathematical ability 5. Critical thinking ability	1=greatly decrease 2=decrease somewhat 3=stay about the same 4=increase somewhat 5=greatly increase

	Dependent, Passive (alpha = .62)	Please indicate your agreement about what students expect of you. 1. Extensive use of audio/visual aids 2. High grades 3. Opportunities to redo assignments to improve grades 4. Outlines and other printed course aids 5. An entertaining lecture style 6. Multiple out-of-classroom gatherings 7. Frequent summaries of key concepts	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Challenging, Independent (alpha = .64)	Please indicate your agreement about what students expect of you. 1. A challenging learning experience 2. Opportunities to pursue subject matter further 3. Extensive one-on-one interaction 4. Availability during office hours 5. Clearly articulated expectations for coursework	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Low Learning Expectations (alpha = .45)	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses. 1. Get credit for effort demonstrated on exams and assignments 2. Learn more when I keep questions and discussions to a minimum 3. Will never master the concepts if they do not grasp them right away	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Improvement in Multicultural Competence (alpha = .83)	Please rate the growth undergraduate students demonstrate in your department from college entry to graduation. 1. Ability to interact in multicultural environments 2. Acceptance of people with different beliefs 3. Knowledge of other cultures 4. Understanding others’ points of view 5. Understanding their own strengths, weaknesses and learning processes 6. Written communication skills	1=greatly decrease 2=decrease somewhat 3=stay about the same 4=increase somewhat 5=greatly increase

	Peer Learning (alpha = .73)	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses. 1. Understand material better when they also hear course concepts explained by peers 2. Have a better grasp of course concepts when they discuss concepts with peers 3. Understand the complexity of a topic better after exchanging ideas with peers	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Preparedness (alpha = .61)	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses. 1. Are less prepared for college level work than they were five years ago 2. Are capable of learning the basic concepts 3. Do not have the ability to ask good questions	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Student Quality (alpha = .86)	In the last five years, how have each of these changed at your institution? 1. The effort undergraduate students devote to their studies in your department 2. The quality of undergraduate students who choose to pursue majors in your field 3. The preparedness of undergraduate students for courses in your department 4. Undergraduate students’ development of necessary competencies in your field 5. The quality of education that a bachelor’s degree represents	1=very much worse 2=somewhat worse 3=about the same 4=somewhat improved 5=very much improved

	Traditional Learning (alpha = .69)	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses. 1. Learn best when they are given a test on course content 2. Learn best through repetition of material in lectures, texts, and exams 3. Want more feedback than grades or exam scores provide 4. Can communicate what they learn through methods outside of formal tests or assessment	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

	Improved Ability to Work with Others (alpha = .78)	Please rate the growth undergraduate students demonstrate in your department from college entry to graduation. 1. Ability to work cooperatively with others to accomplish goals 2. Leadership ability 3. General self-confidence 4. Oral communication skills	1=greatly decrease 2=decrease somewhat 3=stay about the same 4=increase somewhat 5=greatly increase

	Cross-Concept Learning among Students (alpha = .58)	Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses. 1. Often make connections across concepts I had not anticipated 2. Like to think about questions for which no single authoritative solution exists 3. Do not question the readings or textbook	1=disagree strongly 2=disagree somewhat 3=agree somewhat 4=agree strongly

back to Faculty Factor Page
back to Survey Intro Page
Back to Project 5.3 Toolkit Homepage