How are we doing? Are our faculty happy? Our students? Are we offering the right courses, heading in the right direction, making good decisions? Are there discrepancies in satisfaction or success related to gender, race/ethnicity, or other social identity characteristics? Do people in this department feel invested in being here, as if their presence makes a difference? Would they recommend our department to others? Do we need to do one of those climate surveys???
When a department is concerned about climate, a survey is typically the first line of inquiry. Surveys, when well-designed, provide summary information while preserving anonymity.
Effective climate surveys can be the foundation for a more nuanced, participatory, and comprehensive understanding of your department. Bringing into the conversation things which have been ignored, poorly understood, or denied makes it more possible for departments to productively discuss the goals and challenges of the department as a whole. They can clarify rumors, address differences between departmental factions, reveal systemic difficulties caused by unclear policies and procedures, resolve long-standing frustrations, and identify areas where the department is exemplary. To achieve these results, take care with every step of the process.
The key with any climate survey is the spirit and quality of inquiry that infuses every step of the process.
Keep in mind the following key points when considering conducting a climate survey in your department.
What needs attention in a departmental climate is measured by standards
Before considering survey results, consider the goals and standards of the department. What is an acceptable level of negative experiences? What factors signal the kind of climate you desire to have? Having these discussions in advance of a climate survey helps avoid dead-end discussions later such as “10% isn’t so bad” (when referencing a zero tolerance behavior) or “we’re not as bad as that other department!”
As with any research, a quick glance at survey results will give you a limited, and sometimes misleading, view of the data
There is a complex interplay of factors that contribute to a departmental climate; survey questions can only scratch the surface. An accurate understanding of departmental dynamics requires more than a cursory glance at the results. The useful questions and meaningful discussion that surveys make possible must begin with a thorough data analysis.
Survey data raises questions and promotes discussions; it does not provide quick answers
Climate data can illuminate where patterns exist (or don’t exist), reveal tensions and unintended outcomes, identify areas of success, and suggest refinements that can be too complex to see (or for all to see equally) amidst the day-to-day interactions of the department. But no survey will simply deliver these insights – on a silver platter or otherwise. Survey data becomes useful when it stimulates individual and institutional reflection, conversation, further questions, and ideas about how to initiate change.
Data is necessarily partial (being limited only to the questions that were asked)
As with any research, it is simply not possible to gather all the relevant data with a survey. Questions must be well-defined and limited due to constraints including time, money, and relevance. It is seldom useful to dismiss a survey for what it can’t tell you; rather, utilize discussion of what it can tell you to identify what’s missing – then pursue those questions through other mechanisms.
Consulting an Expert
Sometimes climate surveys backfire – especially when a department is unprepared for the process of interpretation or the question of how to take action based on the results. This can especially be true when survey results are (or appear) unclear, contradictory, or counter-intuitive. Sometimes they do not seem to answer the “real” question.
Having an outside consultant or facilitator help you design and conduct the survey and analyze the results can help with many of the concerns listed above.
- An experienced consultant can help design your survey to gather relevant information regarding your departmental climate.
- People are more likely to answer questions honestly when they feel confident that their responses are anonymous or confidential.
- Going through a third party prevents any potential unconscious bias when reporting the survey results.
- Expert data analysis and thoughtful presentation of results can make the outcomes more accessible.
- A consultant could facilitate a post-survey meeting with your department to discuss the results in a productive, meaningful way.
If would like some assistance with a project like this, we have 1-3 hour consultation sessions where we could discuss more tips and resources, or the possibility of Kardia Group helping you through this process.
