2005 Staff Survey: Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the UF Staff Opinion Survey?
- The survey will ask a series of questions about employees work experience and cover a broad range of issues including benefits, recognition and reward, career development, working relationships, communication, resources and efficiency, and quality of life. It will be similar in some aspects to the survey UF used for the faculty in spring 2004. The results will be valuable in identifying both strengths we need to sustain and areas in need of improvement.
- Who is developing and administering the Survey?
- ISR (International Survey Research), the same external consultant who conducted the Faculty Opinion Survey. ISR is customizing the survey based on campus interviews with UF employee focus groups and individual administrators.
- Who is coordinating the Survey on campus?
- The Administrative & Professional Assembly (APA), which is the officially recognized representative and professional organization for all TEAMS A employees in the Technical, Executive, Administrative and Managerial Support pay plan (formerly Administrative & Professional career professionals), and faculty holding titles not represented in the UF Faculty Senate.
Please contact Jani Sherrard, APA President, at 352-392-8408 or jani@biotech.ufl.edu if you have any questions or concerns.
- Who will take the Survey?
- All full time and part time USPS and TEAMS employees who are currently on payroll—approximately 8,200 employees. This survey is only for permanent employees, not OPS employees.
- When will the Survey take place?
- March 25 through April 15, 2005.
- Can we submit the Survey after April 15?
- The deadline for completing the survey is Friday, April 15, but if your department's outgoing mail is picked up before you complete the survey, don't worry! Campus mail will pick up and ship surveys on Monday, April 21.
- How will the Survey be administered?
- On March 25, a paper questionnaire will be distributed to all eligible employees either directly via campus mail, or delivered in bulk to their employment unit.
- Why is a paper Survey being used?
- Not all staff use computers. Some do not have access, and others do not have computer skills. It was cost prohibitive to develop and deliver the Survey both electronically and on paper.
- How, and to whom, will the Survey be returned?
- Employees will put their completed Staff Survey in a sealed enveloped and drop it in Campus Mail to a dedicated PO Box at UF Document Services. Campus mail will ship the completed surveys directly to ISR for tabulation. No one at UF will see any of the completed surveys.
- How will confidentiality and anonymity be assured?
- ISR will report only statistical summaries of the results, not individual responses. The survey will not ask for names, UFID's, or any other identifier. Results will never be reported in any way that would allow particular individuals to be identified. Demographic information such as gender, ethnicity/race, length of service, and educational background will be tabulated at the campus wide and college level and will not be linked to smaller employee groups.
- When will the results be available?
- Results will be reported by ISR to UF in June 2005.
- Who will see the results?
- Results of the Staff Survey as a whole will be available campus wide. Vice presidents and deans will see breakout reports for their respective areas. Department chairs and unit directors whose employee numbers are sufficient to assure anonymity will also receive reports. Those with smaller employee groups will have the results rolled up into the larger group within their college or unit and will have access to these results through their vice president or dean.
For an example of how University-wide results are reported, please review the 2004 Faculty Survey report.
For more information about how the department codes were created, and how they relate to the reporting to deans and chairs, please read the "Department Coding and Reporting" document located the Staff Survey Web site as "Find Your Department Code."
- What happens after the results are in?
- President Machen anticipates that the survey process will identify the two or three priority areas that will have the biggest benefit, and that these will be the focus for campus wide discussion and action. Every department/unit will be encouraged to study the results, review them with their employees, and use them as a catalyst for appropriate action that will help make UF a great place to work.