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Spring 2021 Survey ResultsKey Findings

Survey assembled, analyzed, and presented on behalf of the Great Colleges SteeringCommittee (GCSC) by:

● Emma Jo Shatto, Events● Dr. LaShay Harvey, Graduate Studies● Heather Slania, Decker Library● Louise Cracknell, Health and Wellness● Sabrina Dépestre, Open Studies

Caveat: None of us are professional data analysts. All of this was done in addition to our regularjobs because we want a better MICA.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 3

Introduction 4

Responses Summary 5

Overall Themes 6

Section Highlights 7Fall/Spring Work Reflections 7Furlough Experiences 11Teaching in Spring 12Returning for Fall Semester 15The Climate at MICA 19Final Thoughts 21

In Conclusion 22

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to everyone who was able to complete this survey and share with the MICAcommunity the challenges, fears, and growth that you have experienced over the last fewmonths amidst this global pandemic. We know that time is a precious commodity, and that ourrequest for your feedback was, in some cases, beyond the scope of your capacity.

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Introduction

The Great Colleges Steering Committee (GCSC) was a group created to make MICA a betterplace to work. After learning that the official Great Colleges to Work For survey would not beasking questions regarding the impact of Covid-19 and the limitation of only allowing 10institutionally specific questions, the decision was made to conduct an internal follow-up surveysimilar to the Returning to Fall Survey conducted in August 2020.

When we first sat down as a subcommittee to discuss the need for this survey there were 3 keyfactors that we felt were pivotal to address:

1) The need for faculty and staff to share their thoughts, concerns, experiences andquestions in a format that provided anonymity and attempted to remove systemic andorganizational barriers that often inhibit open feedback with administrators andmanagers.

2) A desire to model transparency and accountability by not only gathering feedback, butalso providing access to the results to the MICA community in a clear, digestible andtimely manner.

3) A commitment to not only provide the results of the survey, but also to provide a tangibleand actionable list of recommendations to President’s Council, based on the needs andconcerns of the MICA community.

The raw data from the quantitative portion of the survey were shared with faculty and staff viaemail on Wednesday, June 2nd and can be found linked below. This document contains ananalysis of the qualitative portion of the survey as well as our concluding thoughts, which pointsto a need for thorough analysis of past recommendations by MICA groups of all types.

Quantitative Data:

● Main Report● Questions by Race & Ethnicity● Questions by Role● Questions by Gender

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Responses Summary

While this information was shared as part of the quantitative data sharing we wanted to set thecontext for where the qualitative responses were received from. There were 266 totalrespondents to the survey with an overall response rate of 25%, a five point increase from thefall.

The current breakdown of MICA staff and faculty (not including student workers) had thegreatest response rate by full-time staff followed by full-time faculty.

● Full-time staff: 52% Response Rate (up from 37%)● Part-time staff: 10% Response Rate (up from 9%)● Full-time faculty: 27% Response Rate (up from 24%)● Adjunct faculty: 8% Response Rate (down from 9%)

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Overall Themes

While there is a known negative bias for individuals who comment on a survey, the followingthemes were clear and seem representative of the current issues and challenges surroundingMICA, higher education, and the world in light of COVID-19, systemic racism, and heightenedinequality. These themes were also expressed in the Fall 2020 Survey suggest that thingsdid not materially change since that time.

FearOverall respondents felt some measure of fear, whether that is getting COVID-19, losing moneyor their jobs, or even just their ability to perform their jobs remotely.

Call for Inclusive Decision Making and People-centered CommunicationThroughout the survey many called for greater involvement in decision making as a great dealof knowledge is held outside of administration. When decisions were announced, they were notclear and the language did not have a great deal of humanity infused in it. This area has a greatdeal of cross-over with the findings of the Great Colleges Survey.

Confusion and Lack of ClarityOverall, but specifically in areas such as teaching online, keeping safe, policies, and furloughs,respondents felt the communications surrounding these were confusing. Besides a desire forpeople-centered communications, clearer communication to staff and faculty is needed tosupport their work and well being. This area also has a great deal of cross-over with the findingsof the Great Colleges Survey.

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Section Highlights

The following overviews represent summaries of the data found in the open endedquestions from the survey and are listed based on the different subsections of thesurvey.

Fall/Spring Work Reflections

How has your role changed or transitioned since the last survey (August 2020)?

While most experienced no change, a great number of people had more responsibilities, greaterworkload, or shifted responsibilities. There were also several mentions of changing of themanagement structure which resulted in more responsibilities and workload. No experience isuniversal however as the themes illustrate.

189 total respondents/15 themes 223 total response

No change 62

More responsibilities 41

Pivot to online 33

Greater workload 27

Shifted responsibilities 14

Change in management structure 8

More meetings 7

More stressful 6

Less student interaction 6

Less workload 6

Responsibilities outside of job description 4

More student interaction 4

Less support 2

Expectation to be available more 2

No travel 1

8If you are in a lot of Zoom meetings, what have you done to combat “Zoom Fatigue”?

Some of the most popular themes involved getting up and away from the computer. While somesaid that nothing helped others did not experience Zoom fatigue despite having many meetings.Others did not have a lot of online meetings.

188 total respondents/24 themes 250 total responses

Breaks 39

Short walk outside/exercise/gardening 38

Nothing 37

Turn off camera 26

Don't feel Zoom fatigue 21

Accept fewer meetings 12

Shortened meetings 9

Phone calls instead of Zoom meetings 9

Create no meeting times on calendar 8

Not in a lot of Zoom meetings 7

N/A 6

Do something with hands while listening (color, doodle, knit, etc.) 6

Stay off computer after work 6

Change location 4

Do interactive activities 4

Embracing the good things about online work 4

Screen glasses/standing desk 3

Walking meetings 3

Doesn't believe Zoom Fatigue exists 2

Stand between meetings 2

Breakout rooms in Zoom 1

Clear objectives (so that you know a meeting is actually necessary) 1

Take time off 1

Commiserate with others 1

Take medication 1

9How can MICA improve its methods and delivery of campus-wide communications?

“Create a regular method for direct access to the upper administration. Not justlarge forums like the town halls, but opportunities for small group more personalinteractions.”

There was a strong call to shorten email length at MICA and make the content more concise, asthere was in the Fall 2020 survey. Many did not see any issues however and called out Recapand the town halls specifically as good developments. There is a split on campus between thosewho want everyone to receive the same information and those who want more targetedinformation. There is also a split between those who want multiple avenues of information andthose who want it more streamlined.

160 total respondents/52 themes

237 total

responses

Shorten emails; make them concise 37

Do not have any issues 19

Be transparent in communicating decisions/timelines 16

Make sure communication is timely and not left to the last minute 12

N/A 9

Send fewer emails 8

Develop multiple types of communications with the same exact content 8

Keep it simple with accessible language 7

More town halls 7

Add Highlights/bullet points/tl;dr 7

Include everyone 7

Recap is good/great 7

Ask for feedback about policies or decisions before they are set in stone 6

Don't leave communications to heads of departments, it should be streamlined

in a unified manner through communications 6

Target communications/don't send to everyone (such as adjuncts) 6

Be specific, information gets buried, no more than a few points per message 6

Authentic language (no marketing speak) 5

Ensure communication flows between VPs and staff in their division 5

MICA daily/weekly bulletin 5

Ensure website is up to date 4

Make managers accountable for receiving and sharing information with their

direct reports 4

oneMICA town halls have been good/great 4

Create a one stop shop for all information 4

10MICA community needs to read their emails 3

Communications needs more staff 3

Make decisions faster 3

Briefly describe how things were before when presenting a new policy 2

Adopt #slack across MICA 2

Send out department specific communications or calendars on a bi weekly basis 2

More advance notice for town halls 2

Audio/video version of Recap 2

Recap should be indexed/searchable 2

Ensure information is correct 2

Don't link to web for further details 1

Provide information on where to ask for clarification 1

More postal and print staff/additional location 1

Collected document of all town hall questions and answers sent out within a

week or two of the event 1

Use infographics 1

More all-division meetings 1

Improve onboarding 1

Have someone dedicated to accessible writing (particularly for neurodivergence) 1

Begin town halls with answers to submitted questions 1

Smaller images 1

Stop campus gossip culture 1

Give in progress information 1

Pan-MICA Google events calendar 1

Encourage RSS feeds on websites 1

Don't send communications outside of business hours 1

“MICA would function better if there were improved/open relationships and moreflow of ideas between upper and lower-level employees. “

11Furlough Experiences

Is there anything you want to let others know about your furlough time?

Generally, of those who had something to say, most wanted more support from MICA in theprocess of applying for unemployment and clearer communication at every step of the furloughprocess and upon return.

78 total respondents/26 themes

107 total

responses

No 14

HR/MICA should have provided an unemployment application townhall 11

Applying for unemployment is difficult 10

Information was spread out in too many places/not clear 7

It was stressful/frustrating 6

Created double the work when coming back 6

Rationale for furloughs was inconsistent/confusing 6

Experienced financial hardship (e.g. took out loans/savings to pay housing costs) 5

Information about holiday week/last week in May was confusing 5

Still haven't received unemployment 5

HR was not compassionate in the process 4

Little communication about status from MICA while furloughed 4

It felt demeaning 4

Did not qualify for unemployment 3

Wish it had come earlier so it would have fallen under CARES act 2

Learned that others secretly worked 2

Wrote to State Senator to get unemployment issues resolved 2

Would not separate weeks due to difficulty of claiming unemployment 2

Paid more via unemployment than at MICA 2

Looked forward to furlough due to burnout (which shouldn't happen) 1

Did not apply for unemployment 1

Hard not to communicate with MICA community during furlough 1

If you live in another state, an interstate claim needs to be made which is an

additional barrier 1

Wanted a reorientation for furloughed employees 1

College should continue being closed the last week of December 1

Employee "first / last day of work" dates don't match with what the state has on

file because of weekends 1

12Teaching in Spring

What were the best lessons you learned about teaching online?

There was surprisingly little overlap between the 62 answers to this question. The ones thatwere stated the most were the need for flexibility and ensuring breaks in the class.

Classroom Experience● How to encourage class discussions online● Building community is key● Switch activities often● Develop good presentations● Hold many 1:1 meetings● Breaks● Active learning, no lecture● Jamboards are easier than Miro● Small groups are better than large on Zoom● Let students use chat● Implemented reversed classroom method (recorded lectures for homework and

discussions in class) for an active class● Monitor filming to emphasize and fully show the demonstrations and examples being

used to teach.● More content doesn't translate into better content● Keep synchronous meetings short and have more asynchronous assignments or give

space for work● Offer choice and different modes of engagement● Bring in guests● 90 minute class periods were not enough● Accountability is difficult in introductory classes● Breakout rooms were helpful for communication and community● Conciseness and clear instructions are critical; so, too, is offering constant support to

students who need help.● It's more important to be centered than prepared● Class time spent listening to students is never wasted● Providing greater structure in syllabi helps students● Preparation is key and connecting with students outside of class time is important.

There were also conflicting opinions on the importance of students having their cameras on,with some saying that it is essential to success while others saying faculty should have empathyfor those who want to keep them off as they may be calling in from non-ideal locations.

Student Needs● Students had low confidence because they didn't see each other try and fail● Students need in person meetings to feel connected/committed● International students relied heavily on subtitles

13● Flexibility in working with students, and empathy for students in different situations is

essential● Remote learning is SUCH a gift for students (and faculty) with chronic illness, learning

disabilities, ASD, anxiety & other mental illness● Some students struggled more than expected online, some did better online● Students miss each other● Offering 6am or 10pm availability is most helpful to students in the Pacific rim● Students like to improvise more when online● Students are less inhibited to talk online● Group work is challenging online

Online vs. In person Teaching● Reset expectations of online vs in person● Online allows for more 1:1 teaching/mentoring● When back in person, will continue to provide transcripts for classes and record live

lectures● Digital tools can help facilitate learning even in person● Time on Zoom runs differently● It's hard to know what will work in advance online (technology, material to be presented),

so must try more strategies in person● Zoom is great for teaching and discussing ideas; much more difficult for teaching

students to "see" (thinking art-context).● Canvas modules made for clearer deliverables and deadlines and will be used when

back in person● Remote instruction was more equitable than a classroom & gave even quiet/shy

students ways to participate comfortably● Returning to "normal" should be interrogated; there's a lot of benefits in a hybrid

environment● Online teaching makes room for a blend of synchronous independent and collaborative

work

Faculty Needs● Need to separate work space from home● Need to stand up for oneself in terms of boundaries and intellectual labor● Burden of supplying content and energy to the class● More institutional support is needed in regards to tools, technology, and student support● There appears to be a gap between MICA faculty and staff in understanding what it

takes to teach online--it takes twice as long to teach online than in person● It took a lot of time to pre-record video content● Always need to prepare a plan "B" when online

14On average how many hours per week have you spent teaching on Zoom in Spring 2021?

Maximum Hours/Week 90

Median Hours/Week 6.5

Average Hours/Week 11.5

Minimum Hours/Week 0

Total Responses 63

On average how many hours per week were you supporting students on Zoom outside of class

in Spring 2021?

Maximum Hours/Week 30

Median Hours/Week 4

Average Hours/Week 4.5

Minimum Hours/Week 0

Total Responses 65

15Returning for Fall Semester

Consistent themes around:● Communication: consistency and clarity regarding enforcement of rules and/or policies● Mandating vaccinations for staff, faculty, and students● People: respecting boundaries, patience in expectations, and extra support for campus

areas such as campus safety and building services● Flex work: hybrid options to work from home● Space: limited roaming around buildings, staggered office hours to limit congestion in

buildings, having dedicated non-shared work space

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Consistent themes around:● Communication: clarity and up-to-date information regarding enforcement of COVID-19

policies and procedures that are delivered in an appropriate amount of time● Resources: mental health support, professional development, up-to-date technology and

training to use it optimally● Cross-divisional collaboration: MICA succeeding in implementing shared governance,

and staff having more opportunities for cross-divisional collaboration and projects● Space: concern that spaces/classrooms don’t have the room available to physically

distance from students, other staff and faculty and that these spaces are technologicallyout of date

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Consistent themes included:● Transitioning from virtual/remote to hybrid and in-person: concern surrounding

transitioning back to in-person/hybrid and its impact on the lives of staff and faculty. Thisincludes how it impacts work/life balance, work-load, compensation and benefits.

● Communication: clarity and up-to-date information regarding enforcement of COVID-19policies and procedures that are delivered in an appropriate amount of time

● Resources: mental health support, professional development, up-to-date technology andtraining to use it optimally

● External circumstances: concern surrounding COVID-19 and related circumstances thatthe college cannot control

● Space: concern that spaces/classrooms don’t have the room available to physicallydistance from students, other staff and faculty and that these spaces are technologicallyout of date, and how hybrid teaching will impact class/departmental budgets

● Lack of trust and discontent: related to senior leadership’s communication with the restof the institution

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General themes of responses consist of being excited to engage with the MICA community,seeing students and colleagues, and implementing lessons learned / new opportunities thathave arisen during the pandemic.

19The Climate at MICA

“Staff and faculty want to feel as though they are seen, heard, respected andappreciated. This does not just pertain to administration from the top down, butamong the silos between faculty and staff and within departments and divisions.Concrete examples of this would be to guarantee no further furloughing of staff,addressing the imbalance of workloads, and compensating employees who takeon additional committee assignments outside the scope of their job descriptions.”

When asked what MICA would need to do in order to help staff and faculty stay working herethe responses largely fell into four distinct categories: compensation, human centeredworkplace, organizational structure, and shared governance.

Compensation: It will come as no surprise that compensation was the most frequentlyreferenced need of staff and faculty in regards to staying at MICA. Within the topic ofcompensation however there were multiple thoughts and perspectives. Some responsesfocused directly on the compensation study and a desire for an acceleratedimplementation timeline, while others shared a desire for a return to pre-pandemicfinancial benefits such as COLA and money for professional development. Notable aswell were multiple mentions about how to structure raises moving forward, as well as thedisparity felt by adjunct faculty between their pay structure and full-time faculty. Whenasked what makes you keep working at MICA, there were many responses to thebenefits offered, including, but not limited to the matching 403b and health insurance.

While many respondents have acknowledged that steps are being taken to address payinequities and inadequacies there is marked frustration around the communicationaround the progress and the timeline. The compensation study is a large undertakingwith many components, but MICA should do whatever is possible to addresscompensation concerns as soon as possible. This should include things like reinstatingCOLA and publishing a clear, concise process for requesting a job audit, pay review, andpromotion request.

Human Centered Workplace: Another key theme that would improve employeeretention according to the respondents is a stronger focus on creating a human centeredworkplace. Responses called out the continued siloing and the need for relationshipbuilding among faculty and staff. There were also many calls for acknowledgement,appreciation, support and respect. As a response to the pandemic, many individuals alsocalled for a continuation of telework options, flexible hours, and a redress of work/lifebalance that has been thrown off due to increased workloads across the board.

20Organizational Structure: A large variety of employee needs fall under the theme ofMICA’s organizational structure, and changes that would need to be made in order tokeep more employees at the institution. Some responses focused on replacing specificindividuals, while others called for a re-examination of the organizational structure as awhole - a reduction in the number of middle managers and the pathways through whichinformation flows. Strengthening key offices such as HR and Finance were alsoprominently mentioned, as was a need for a clear pathway for career advancement.Staff want to know how to move up in the organization, and adjunct faculty are lookingfor a clearer way to transition to full-time faculty.

Shared Governance: One issue on which staff and faculty are keenly aligned is theneed for shared governance. Multiple responses on both sides brought up how importantit is for relationships to improve among students, staff and faculty in order to make MICAa better place to work. Employees feel that shared governance and power sharing willalso strengthen the relationship between faculty/staff and the administration.

“Be sensitive... Be considerate... Be aware... Be anti-racist…”

21Final Thoughts

As a way to wrap up the survey, we felt that it was important to collect feedback from ourcommunity on both the survey itself and any other thoughts that people felt they wantedor needed to share. Responses may have been edited to shield participant identity andprotect privacy.

Survey Recommendations: In order to improve our efforts to gather the most accurateand important information from faculty and staff we asked participants to sharerecommendations for questions to be asked on a future survey.

● Quantitative data for exempt vs non-exempt staff who complete the survey● Quantitative data for the position level of those who completed the survey

(coordinator, assistant director, VP etc.)● Ask specifically about satisfaction, confidence and trust in MICA leadership● Ask about the relationships among faculty/staff/students● How would you improve curriculum and grading?● Are you an alum?● How do you feel about your job?● What can MICA do to support your childcare needs?● How does MICA handle support for employees with disabilities?● Are there opportunities for career growth in your department?

Other Suggestions/Comments: Many individuals chose to use this section to thank thecommittee for their work on the survey which is greatly appreciated. The remainingthoughts reiterated points made throughout the survey, primarily focusing on the speedwith which people wish changes were being implemented.

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In Conclusion

“We currently say "One MICA" but the communication shows a highly striatedpower structure where those at the top make the decisions, have agency, and arewell compensated while everyone beneath them is left in the dark and forced tobeg to be listened to and compensated remotely fairly.”

After the first Great Colleges Survey in 2019, the committee honed in on low scoring questionsand how they could be addressed. First we looked at what questions would fit under existinginitiatives before theming the questions that had no initiative addressing it.

Existing MICA initiative Low Scoring Great Colleges Survey Questions (2019)

HR- Compensation Study I am paid fairly for my work.

Facilities- Campus MasterPlan

The facilities (e.g. classrooms, offices, laboratories) adequatelymeet my needs.

HR- PerformanceManagement System andTraining

Our review process accurately measures my job performance.Promotions in my department are based on a person’s ability.Issues of low performance are addressed in my department.

2021-2026 Strategic Plan Senior leadership provides a clear direction for this institution'sfuture.

HR- Whistle Blower Policy I can make a complaint to management without having to worryabout harming my career.

As each of the above initiatives had been put on pause during the global pandemic, it isunsurprising that the problems continue to show up as an issue today.

Areas needingintervention

Low Scoring Great Colleges Survey Questions (2019)

Policies, Resources &Efficiency

My department has adequate faculty/staff to achieve our goals.Our orientation program prepares new faculty, administration andstaff to be effective.

Communication Changes that affect me are discussed prior to being implemented.

Senior Leadership Senior leadership communicates openly about important matters.

Fairness This institution’s policies and practices ensure fair treatment forfaculty, administration and staff.

Respect &Appreciation

I am regularly recognized for my contributions.Our recognition and awards programs are meaningful to me.The faculty values the contributions of staff.

23The Great Colleges Steering Committee presented the above and the following themes to thePresident's Council in Summer 2020 as keys to improving MICA:

We identified three paths forward from these themes that the Great Colleges SteeringCommittee could investigate on behalf of the college:

● GSCS develops the necessary processes, procedures, tools, and documents to makeeffective cross-divisional working groups at MICA.

● GSCS revisits the Communications HUB report, developing SMART goals to addressthe findings.

● Other HUB reports should be revisited to see what has been actioned on, what has not,and what needs better articulated actions and goals to happen.

The first path is what the committee has focused on in the past year (outside of creating andanalyzing these surveys) with the hope of presenting it to MICA and the new VP for People,Belonging, and Culture in the fall.

However, it is clear that this is not enough. Nearly all of the Fall 2020 recommendations to thePresident's Council have not been addressed or incorporated into MICA’s practices. At risk ofbeing like the many reports that have gone before only to sit on a (virtual) shelf, we do not havemore recommendations for MICA or the President’s Council. Instead we hope to spend the nextyear revisiting past recommendations from previous working groups (such as HUBs) to seewhat has been advanced and what has not.

It is our hope that as we finish that work that Shared Governance will have begun at MICA. Thesuccess of Shared Governance is instrumental to improving the three main themes as well asthe ultimate goal: trust between the staff, faculty, and administration.