UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has released a preview report of findings from the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey, which was open to all eligible full-time faculty during the spring 2025 semester.
A joint effort of the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the University Faculty Senate, the COACHE survey is designed to provide insights into the experiences of faculty members across Penn State, identify areas of potential improvement, strengthen community and drive positive change at the campus, college and department levels. Topics covered by the survey included shared governance; engagement; collegiality; recruitment and retention; appreciation and recognition; interdisciplinary work; institutional leadership; resources and support; and promotion and tenure.
The report of results kicks off the second year of a three-year process, during which a University-wide steering committee and unit committees will review the results, gather additional feedback from faculty and prioritize areas for action.
“I would like to thank all members of the faculty who took time to respond to the COACHE survey. The results will play a critical role in helping us create an environment for faculty to succeed and thrive at Penn State," said Fotis Sotiropoulos, executive vice president and provost. "This is just the beginning of our work. I look forward to working with our outstanding faculty — along with the COACHE committees, University Faculty Senate and leadership across the institution — to address the priorities that will be identified and to develop initiatives that help elevate the faculty experience and the impact of their work."
Inside the report
Read more: Find a preview report of University-wide results and information on next steps at provost.psu.edu/coache.
The preview report, prepared by COACHE, provides an overview of results spanning all Penn State campuses and presents results of all faculty responses, as well as those of several subgroups. Penn State’s overall response rate was 33%, representing 1,990 full-time faculty members.
The results are organized into 25 benchmarks, or themes, each of which represent an aggregate of several survey questions on the same topic. The report provides a series of charts that illustrate Penn State’s mean score, on a five-point scale, for each benchmark. Penn State’s mean scores for each benchmark were also compared with those of five peer institutions — identified as competitors in the market for faculty — and a cohort representing 85 colleges and universities.
Using these comparisons, COACHE identified two areas of strength and two areas of concern based on how Penn State’s overall mean score for each benchmark ranked among the peer group and cohort. “Facilities and Work Resources” and “Personal and Family Policies” were identified by COACHE as areas of strength, based on Penn State’s rank of first or second in its peer group and in the top 30% of the cohort. “Promotion to Full” and “Tenure Policies” were identified by COACHE as areas of concern, based on Penn State’s rank of fifth or sixth among its peer group and in the bottom 30% of the cohort.
In the coming months, members of the University-wide COACHE steering committee and of unit committees at each college and campus will examine the results — both peer comparisons and overall mean scores — to identify nuances in the data among demographic groups. The steering committee will work with the unit committees and faculty to analyze the reports, communicate findings, gather additional feedback and develop priorities for action, at both the unit- and University-wide levels.
“I’m grateful for the input from our faculty who participated in this survey and provided great feedback on issues that are important to them,” said Kathy Bieschke, senior vice provost. “A unique benefit of the COACHE survey is that it measures not only how Penn State faculty feel about particular areas of their work environment, but also how those sentiments compare with faculty at other institutions, highlighting opportunities for improvement to align with our peers.”
A complete overview of mean scores and peer and cohort comparisons for all 25 benchmarks can be found beginning on page 5 of the preview report. These comparative analyses can be viewed for all faculty and for several subgroups. A guide to interpreting the preview report is available here.
The survey also asked faculty to rate their overall satisfaction with Penn State as a place to work. At the department level, 74% of Penn State faculty were “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with their department as a place to work, compared to 69% of faculty at peer institutions, while 14% of Penn State faculty were “Dissatisfied” or “Very Dissatisfied” with their department as a place to work, compared to 16% at peer institutions. University-wide, 54% of faculty were “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with Penn State as a place to work, compared to 58% of faculty at peer institutions. In contrast, 26% of faculty were “Dissatisfied” or “Very Dissatisfied” with the University as a place to work, compared to 21% of faculty at peer institutions.
"I am pleased to see that a majority of our faculty report experiencing a rewarding professional environment at the departmental level,” Sotiropoulos said. “And while a smaller majority report being satisfied with Penn State as a place to work, I see this as an area to focus on as we move forward. We are a premier institution because of our exceptional people, and we want Penn State to be a place where faculty can cultivate impactful, rewarding careers. Through the outcomes of this survey and ongoing dialogue, I am committed to working together to strengthen the environment across the institution.”
In addition to the preview report, the COACHE steering committee received an in-depth University-wide report which will be used to identify areas of institutional strengths and areas for improvement across the institution. Additionally, detailed unit-level reports for each college and campus have been provided to deans, chancellors and unit-level committees.
“The University Faculty Senate looks forward to working with leadership on assessing the COACHE survey results and putting plans into action that will help support faculty,” said Frantisek Marko, chair of University Faculty Senate. “The COACHE data provides important insight into the experiences of faculty across Penn State, and I would like to thank faculty for participating in the survey.”
A three-year process
In 2024, Penn State entered into an initial three-year partnership with COACHE. Last year focused on efforts to encourage faculty to complete the survey and on the survey administration process. This year will encompass unit and University-wide reviews of results, additional discussions with faculty and academic leaders, and prioritization of topics or areas to address. Next year will focus on implementing efforts to address these priorities.
To launch this year’s efforts, deans, chancellors, unit committee members and steering committee members attended one of three regional workshops in September featuring COACHE Executive Director Todd Benson. The workshops aimed to guide unit leaders and committee members in their understanding of the reports and to inform next steps.
As work continues to analyze results in the coming months, unit committees are expected to provide regular updates on their work to the steering committee, bringing local perspectives to help inform University-wide priorities. Public updates will regularly be shared on year-two progress, creating transparency and keeping the Penn State community informed of how the survey findings are being addressed.
“I encourage our faculty to engage with the committees and the Faculty Senate to help set priorities for the future,” Sotiropoulos said.
More information is available on the COACHE website and questions can be emailed to coache@psu.edu.