2018 College Climate survey results are in
By Philip Denman, May 30, 2018
The results of Green River College's 2018 Campus Climate Survey are in and will be the topic of a number of upcoming all-campus meetings.
The survey, conducted by the National Institute for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness (NILIE) in Feb. 2018, was provided to all 1,084 employees of the at the College. Of the 1,084 employees, 551 (50.8%) completed and returned the survey. In addition to the numerical data collected (quantitative data), respondents were also given the opportunity to provide comments (qualitative data). Of the 551 employees who completed the survey, 325 respondents provided written comments.
According to GRC President Suzanne Johnson, the survey is an oppotunity for the college to embrace the perceptions and experiences of hundreds of employees as the results form a baseline from which to work and to compare our growth and improvement in the future.
"Your honesty and candidness reflects a level of trust, a willingness to share, a need to be heard and hope for our future," Johnson said in an emial to the campus community sharing the results. "[The results] shows a range of feedback both positive and critical... It provides clear feedback on areas in which we are strong and areas in which we need to focus our energies for improvement. It identifies those things which we are doing well and those things that leave unmet needs."
The NILIE Personal Assessment of the College Environment survey included a 46-item PACE instrument organized into four climate factors as follows: Institutional Structure, Student Focus, Supervisory Relationships, and Teamwork. Employees also completed a qualitative section, a customized section designed specifically for Green River College, and change readiness subscale report.Respondents were asked to rate the four factors on a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from a low of “1” to a high of “5.” The PACE instrument administered at GRC included 79 total items and two qualitative questions.
The PACE results yielded an overall 3.627 mean score. When disaggregated by the Personnel Classification demographic category of the PACE instrument, Administrators rated the campus climate the highest with a mean score of 3.698, followed by Faculty (3.649) and Staff (3.589). The most favorable and least favorable areas cited in the qualitative questions pertain to the Institutional Structure climate factor.
"A college climate is dynamic – it is always changing and evolving and reflects the myriad relationships among us that make up our college community... After reading all the climate survey results I am left with optimism for us all I know that we can and will move this college to an even brighter future than the past best times provided," Johnson said. "we are the culture that students move in and out of. As we strengthen our culture so will the experiences of our students be strengthened."
The Climate Survey will be the primary topic at a June 4 All Managers Meeting and a June 6 All College Meeting. Johnson has also asked that executive team members discuss the results with their staff, as well as requestiong that the College Council and all of its constituent councils, the Instructional Council and its subcommittees, faculty leadership, classified leadership, GDEC, all divisions and departments at the college, and all Deans and Directors college-wide to take these results to their respective groups, committees, and councils to discuss the results.
