Faculty Closing March 6, 2023

Due to the weather and widespread power-outages, we are extending the survey response period to Monday, March 6 at noon. Check your umich email for more details

About the ADVANCE Faculty Climate Survey (ADVANCE FCS)

Since 2001, the University of Michigan (U-M) ADVANCE Program has periodically assessed the climate for all faculty at U-M Ann Arbor. The ADVANCE FCS is a confidential way of sharing your faculty experiences, and ADVANCE draws on these responses to advocate for all faculty. The ADVANCE FCS will be administered in February 2023, and we anticipate that reports will be available in Fall 2023. Learn more about the ADVANCE Program.

Is the ADVANCE FCS confidential?

Yes. ADVANCE ensures that all responses and personal information are kept confidential. Results from the survey will only be reported in the aggregate. Neither names nor departments are collected, so they will not be attached to any data. Further, responses will not be part of any academic, medical, employment or disciplinary record.

What will you do with my responses?

All faculty responses are de-identified, aggregated and analyzed to determine patterns. This survey is a primary resource which informs campus leaders about the faculty experience, creates a data-driven foundation for new ADVANCE workshops, focuses on DEI topics, and informs ongoing research projects. It also creates a safe way for marginalized faculty to confidentially share their experiences. General faculty experiences or special topics are highlighted in our reports. All of ADVANCE’S previous reports using campus-wide faculty responses are located on our website.

Insights from the survey will help ADVANCE and the broader university improve policies, practices, and resources for faculty as well as guide new program development. Previous findings contributed to well-known ADVANCE initiatives including Launch Committees to mentor new junior faculty, the RISE Committee’s resources on workplace climate, faculty exit interviews, and grant programs like Crosby and SUCCEED.

Can this survey be taken on a mobile device?

Yes, the ADVANCE FCS can be taken on any computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access. We recommend, however, that you use a large screen device (e.g., desktop computer, notebook computer, large tablet) for full functionality and navigation. If you are currently using your phone, you can close the survey and start it again on another device using your survey link.

What climate survey did I take last year? What is the difference between the ADVANCE FCS and the ODEI climate survey?

The ADVANCE FCS periodically examines the general climate resulting from faculty experience. New items in the 2023 climate survey include faculty-to-faculty interactions, workload equity, and modes of self-presentation at work. Historical topics such as perceptions of satisfaction, discrimination, leadership, received mentoring, and resources remain on the survey. Many analyses examine differences in the experiences of faculty from different demographic groups (e.g., rank, track, field of study) or over time (i.e., current responses as compared to previous survey waves). The ADVANCE FCS supports a broad definition of diversity (beyond race and gender) to examine the experiences of faculty who are international faculty, first-generation college graduates, or come from a family with lower socioeconomic status.

Last year, the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI) administered a campus-wide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Climate Assessment to faculty, staff and students on the Ann Arbor campus. Although both surveys assess faculty experiences, the ADVANCE FCS covers more topics in the realm of faculty life, and the DEI climate survey was focused on diversity.