COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey

COACHE logo and graphics representing teaching, administration and teamworkUNT aspires to emerge as an exceptionally diverse and inclusive institution dedicated to generating knowledge and innovations that will profoundly influence the future and cultivate excellence in the next generation of scholars and leaders. We acknowledge the pivotal role faculty members play in realizing this vision and are dedicated to ensuring that every faculty member feels included and valued.

In pursuit of continuous improvement, UNT actively engages in surveys to gauge faculty satisfaction. Among the comprehensive surveys we have undertaken, the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey is one of the most impactful initiatives in our journey toward enhancing the academic experience.

How has UNT improved faculty work life with prior COACHE surveys?

UNT distributes the survey every three years, and we have made significant strides in addressing areas of concern while continuing to support the resources that faculty share that are helping them succeed. These include:

  • Implementing ongoing salary studies and market adjustments (every three years)
  • Launching a Workload Equity Initiative (AY24) and Academic Workload Policy adjustments
  • Improving climate and support for Professional Faculty: name change, increasing UNT Foundation award eligibility (ongoing; Professional Faculty FRG)
  • Hosting Crucial Conversations training for academic leaders and faculty
  • Expanding support for teaching — Faculty Director for Teaching Development (Faculty Success)
  • Expanding the UNT Faculty Mentoring Program for faculty across ranks
  • Development of a faculty dashboard (Insights 2.0) to track faculty advancement and retention and to share COACHE 2021 results  
  • Expanding faculty award eligibility and funding
  • Implementing faculty exit surveys and interviews

The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey is a pivotal instrument employed by academic institutions, including the University of North Texas (UNT), to assess and enhance the experiences of faculty members. UNT, with its commitment to being a diverse and inclusive institution that fosters knowledge and innovation, utilizes the COACHE survey as a comprehensive tool to gauge faculty job satisfaction. Its importance lies in providing valuable insights into faculty perspectives, aiding continuous improvement efforts, and enabling the institution to tailor policies and practices toward a more supportive academic environment.

By participating in the COACHE survey, UNT seeks to align faculty experiences with its vision, ensuring that faculty members feel included, valued, and empowered to contribute to the university's overarching goals of excellence and diversity.

The survey assesses 25 benchmarks of faculty job satisfaction within an academic workplace, including:

  • Clarity of the tenure and promotion process
  • Work-life balance
  • Support for teaching and research
  • Campus climate, culture and collegiality
  • Compensation and benefits  

Aggregated results pinpoint areas requiring attention and improvement, guiding academic leaders in shaping a more conducive and satisfying work environment. Moreover, the national scope of the survey allows institutions to compare their results with those of peers, fostering a collaborative approach to addressing challenges and enhancing the overall quality of academic experiences across the higher education landscape.

The COACHE survey, initially administered to tenure-track faculty in 2008–2009 and subsequently to tenured faculty in 2010–2011, reflects UNT's dedication to understanding and addressing the evolving needs and experiences of its faculty. In 2018 and 2021, UNT expanded its commitment by including all full-time faculty in the COACHE survey — including lecturers, clinical, tenure-track and tenured faculty — in every college.

Overall, results from the 2021 COACHE survey indicated improvement over scores from the 2018 COACHE survey. 62% of our full-time faculty responded to the COACHE 2021 survey, and of those, 53% completed the survey for an 84% retention rate, which was higher than any of our five comparison universities: Louisiana State University, University of Central Florida, University of North Carolina–Charlotte, University of Tennessee, and University of Texas at Arlington (47%) and the larger COACHE cohort (43%). In 2024, our five comparison universities will be: University of Houston, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Tech University, Florida State University, and University of California–Irvine.

Faculty will receive an anonymous unique survey link in an email from COACHE on Feb. 5, 2024. A few weeks before this, faculty will hear about the COACHE survey in their faculty meetings, in UNT Today, from the Provost and from Faculty Success. The survey link will remain active until early April, and Faculty Success will monitor the response rates and contact units as needed to encourage faculty to participate. We expect to receive our results in early July and will work closely with the Provost and the UNT COACHE Steering Committee to review, share and collect additional data to get a comprehensive picture of faculty job satisfaction. Faculty can expect a full report on the results and actionable work during the fall 2024 term. 

Our 2024 COACHE Steering Committee members represent a diverse set of faculty and staff who will review the results, engage faculty groups, and identify actionable suggestions to continue improving the work life for UNT faculty.

  • Holly Hutchins, Vice Provost, Faculty Success (Chair)
  • Liss LaFleur, Associate Professor, CVAD (Co-Chair)
  • Adam Chamberlain, Chair of UNT Faculty Senate; Associate Professor, CLASS 
  • Kevin Yanowski, Associate Librarian, UNT Libraries 
  • Karen Johnson, Associate Professor, College of Information
  • Jesus Quevedo-Torrero, Clinical Associate Professor, College of Engineering
  • Amanda Fuller, Associate Director, UBSC
  • Daniel Hubbard, Director, Data, Analytics, & Institutional Research (DAIR)
  • Reynaldo Quiroz Heredia, Business Intelligence Analyst, DAIR
  • Barrett Taylor, Professor, College of Education
  • Marcella Clinard, Faculty Director, Faculty Success
  • Jessica Napoles, Professor, College of Music
  • Majed Yaghi, Clinical Associate Professor, G. Brint Ryan College of Business
  • Kim Williams, Professor and Chair, College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism
  • Alex Barr, Senior Lecturer, College of Science
  • Nancy Stockdale, Associate Professor, CLASS