Mistrust and a lack of clear communication about budget decisions were the main takeaways from the survey results presented at the Transparency Action Steering Committee’s presentation on Thursday, February 11, in Jamrich Hall. Co-Chairs Rhea Dever, Dir. of Human Resources and Jes Thompson, Associate Professor in CAPS presided over the meeting attended by about 30 faculty and staff, ten students and members of the TASC.

The survey involved 975 participants with 846 completing their surveys. Over 670 students participated with just over 300 faculty and staff. Some of the most notable findings show 94 percent of faculty and staff agreed the campus-wide decision-making process mattered to them, and 83 percent of students said it mattered to them as well. Seventy-one percent of faculty/staff and 65 percent of students said decisions having campus-wide impact are not effectively communicated. A vast majority of faculty and staff (83%) did not believe there is a climate of trust on campus while 48 percent of students said they agreed there is a climate of trust.

On specific questions about hiring and input on curriculum, both faculty and students agreed there was sufficient transparency. However, when asked about satisfaction with the level of transparency and involvement in the budget, the numbers fall off dramatically. Seventy-two percent of all respondents disagreed there was adequate transparency concerning budget issues while 70 percent felt the same about the level of involvement. More details and slides from the presentation can be viewed by clicking here. The text of the report can be reviewed by clicking here.