UCL Staff Engagement Survey 9 - 27 November

UCL’s fifth staff engagement survey is soon to be launched.

UCL’s vision states, ‘Our distinctive approach to research, education and innovation will further inspire our community of staff, students and partners to transform how the world is understood, how knowledge is created and shared and the way that global problems are solved.’ UCL 2034.

We can’t achieve this unless staff are engaged with UCL’s values and goals. Your views are really important to me.

Why Should I complete the survey?

Participating in the staff survey helps us understand your experience of work and the working environment and how this impacts on achieving our goals.

We can see whether we have made improvements since the last survey in 2013 and identify where new ideas and projects need to be initiated. You can read about the cross-UCL initiatives we undertook in response to your feedback last time and also read about some of the local case studies. Data from the survey is used in a variety of ways, including Athena Swan submissions and the recent Race Equality Charter, in which UCL was one of only eight UK universities to be granted a bronze award. These are critical not only to further our advancement of equal opportunities and the promotion of diversity but also impacts on research funding.

In 2014, ORC International undertook some initial analysis on the potential link between the National Student Survey (NSS) results and staff engagement in the sector. They found a 5% difference in student satisfaction (NSS) data between the highly engaged departments compared to the least engaged departments. Improving our NSS scores is one of the key objectives under UCL2034, to be ‘a global leader in the integration of research and education, underpinning an inspirational student experience’.

Although UCL budgets are tight, SMT have agreed that for every completed survey £5 will be donated to the student hardship fund. You will also have the option to submit your name for entry into a free prize draw to win a tablet/reader. Your name will be removed from your survey form so UCL will not be able to link back to your responses. The survey is quick and easy to complete and will make a difference. See our FAQs for further information, including anonymity and confidentiality.

How have the questions been developed?

A survey project group chaired by Professor Graham Hart, Dean of Population Health Sciences, with representatives from each Faculty and Vice-Provost and Trade Union representatives have reviewed and revised the questionnaire. This will also enable benchmarking from the last UCL survey and across the sector, including other Russell Group Universities.

When will I know the outcome?

Summary results will be shared with all staff in the New Year, within one month of being presented to the Senior Management Team.  Local results will then be shared with all staff at around the same time, though of course individual timings will tie in with planned local meetings. The Senior Management Team is committed to ensuring new local action plans are then developed.

Who is managing the survey?

We have engaged ORC International to be our partners in running this survey. They supported us in running the 2013 survey and have extensive experience of running similar surveys in HEIs, including other Russell Group universities.

Your views really do count.

Professor Michael Arthur
Provost and President