2018 Employee Engagement Survey

At the foundation of DU IMPACT 2025 and One DU is our commitment to inviting every individual to proactively help decide who we aspire to be as a community. Together, we examine what values are most important to uphold. And together, we work to become the very best and most inclusive environment possible — and to be regarded as an “employer of choice.”

Toward that end, in the spring of 2018 we conducted a comprehensive employee engagement survey to assess the faculty and staff experience at the University of Denver. This was a significant achievement as all faculty, adjunct faculty, and benefitted staff — exempt and non-exempt, including union members — were invited to participate in the same survey, which was offered in both English and Spanish.

The project was cosponsored by the Office of Human Resources and Inclusive Excellence (HRIC) and the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. The Office of the Chancellor and the Office of the Provost wholeheartedly championed and sponsored the project; and they also were evaluated by respondents.

The response to the confidential survey was extraordinary. More than 1,600 individuals — 54 percent of faculty, staff and administrators — responded with honesty and candor. Overall results were shared transparently at Town Hall meetings, and divisional and departmental results were delivered through 33 unit-specific meetings. As indicated in the Town Hall presentation, DU has much to be proud of, and also many areas for improvement.

The University of Denver is ranked among the top five Best Employers in Colorado.

_{— Forbes Magazine}

DU’s highest score — 86 percent positive — was on question #5: I understand how my job contributes to this institution's mission. This finding, which is an indicator of pride, is significant because, according to Gallup and the Society for Human Resource Management, employee connection to the mission of an employer is regarded as a top indicator of overall engagement.

Since the results were shared, fruitful dialog has continued across campus. Leaders and their teams have worked together to create and implement new initiatives to bring about change and improvement, while at the same time building on and reinforcing their unit-based strengths. Anecdotal feedback shows that the survey initiative — along with other One DU programs — has helped us work together to make DU a stronger community and an even better place to work.

A follow-up survey will be conducted in May 2020 (after a two-year interval), to ensure that progress is documented and rewarded, and that the University holds itself accountable for ongoing improvement.

We will advance our institutional structures and shape ourselves as an intentional community, One DU, to provide an inclusive and engaging environment that supports our aspirations.

_{— Impact 2025, Transformative Direction Four: One DU}