Faculty and Staff/AAP Cultural Climate Survey Results

November 14, 2023

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues:

Last fall, the University invited our faculty and staff to participate in a cultural climate survey to better understand their experiences as members of our community. I am grateful to the many colleagues who participated in this survey: 44% of our full-time faculty, 41% of staff and academic administrative professionals (AAPs), and 280 members (8%) of our part-time faculty.

We conducted this survey, which was developed by the National Institute for Transformation and Equity (NITE), through the leadership of Rosemary Kilkenny (L’87), J.D., Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, and our Office of Assessment and Decision Support (OADS). A 2022 Cultural Climate Advisory Committee made up of faculty and staff/AAPs from across the University was established to review the survey instruments to customize the survey for our Georgetown community.

The survey covered a wide range of issues: the sense of belonging and satisfaction within our faculty and staff community; perceptions and experiences regarding the campus culture; opportunities for engagement in cultural communities; experiences of safety, prejudice, and discrimination; resources and mechanisms to address concerns; and opportunities for professional growth.

Overall Findings

The results of each survey are available on our IDEAA website, with a full report on the Faculty Survey Results and a full report on the Staff and AAP Survey Results. The survey results document the overall responses of the community and the statistically significant responses of different gender, racial, or ethnic groups.

The survey found the overall satisfaction of our colleagues was above 65%. For staff and AAPs, 65.4% reported being satisfied with their overall experience at Georgetown along with 66.9% of full-time faculty and 78% of part-time faculty. Additional analysis found that some of our community may experience lower overall satisfaction than others, particularly among our Hispanic/Latinx and Black/African American staff/AAP colleagues. For full-time faculty, there were no significant differences in overall satisfaction on the basis of gender or racial or ethnic groups.

The surveys contain rich findings on the perceptions and experiences of different demographic groups within our community and highlight areas where these differ—helping to aid in our continued work to build a strong and supportive community for our staff and faculty. It is clear that there is more we can do to foster an environment of inclusion, engagement, and support for all of our colleagues, and it will take a deep and sustained effort to strengthen the feelings of belonging and satisfaction among all members of our community.

Recent Steps

The University has taken four recent steps to strengthen the context we provide our faculty and staff colleagues.

• First—We recognize the importance of connecting within and across cultural communities. The survey results reinforced the need for this work. In February 2022, the University announced the opportunity to establish Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)—voluntary groups formed and led by employees, with resources provided by the University, that bring together colleagues with common interests, backgrounds, and goals. To date, four groups have formed: Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group; Disability Employee Resource Group; LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group; and Black Diaspora Employee Resource Group. Employees who wish to join one of these groups or form a new affinity group can find more details on the ERG website.
• Second—We have expanded resources for faculty and staff to share their experiences and seek confidential and impartial guidance when they have concerns. We have appointed our first staff ombuds, Linda Brothers, J.D., who began this semester. She joins an ombuds team that serves different communities across campus: Catherine Langlois, Ph.D., (main campus faculty), Bassem Haddad, M.D., (medical center faculty), Stacey Kaltman, Ph.D., (School of Medicine students), and Daniela Brancaforte, Ph.D., (main campus undergraduate and graduate students).
• Third—We have continued to expand our investment in the mental health and well-being of our community. This fall, we launched a new, expanded set of mental health resources for our staff and faculty, including access to the well-being program Journey. This program was selected for its wider range of diverse providers, virtual and in-person services, and our ability to expand access to family members.
• Fourth—We have launched a new resource related to professional conduct and an expanded Learning & Development program in Human Resources for professional development.

These programs complement additional work launched around gender equity, accessibility, and inclusive pedagogy.

Going Forward

The work of building community is an ongoing process and requires all of us to play a role in shaping and supporting a more inclusive culture. Earlier this semester, I brought together our senior academic and administrative leadership for a conversation on how we can use the survey results to strengthen the daily work of our community. I am grateful to our colleagues, and especially Rosemary Kilkenny, for their leadership in ensuring these results help to shape our work in the time ahead.

Thank you to all of our colleagues who shared your experiences in this survey. We are always striving to ensure that this University is a place where you can do your very best work. We recognize that there is more work we need to do. Every day, our staff and faculty make invaluable contributions to Georgetown; we are deeply grateful to you for all that you enable to happen at Georgetown; and we will continue our work—strengthening inclusion and belonging—through the dedication, values, and engagement of all of us.

Sincerely,

John J. DeGioia