UTRGV has been recognized in 6 of the program's 10 categories:

• Job Satisfaction & Support
  This recognition category is based on satisfaction with job fit, autonomy, and resources. High degrees of job satisfaction are essential to an engaged workforce.
• Professional Development
  Support for faculty/staff professional development is critical both in terms of building organizational capacity and supporting individual development needs. This recognition category is based on survey items related to onboarding processes, professional development opportunities, and support for career development.
• Mission & Pride
  Understanding an institution’s mission and how one’s job impacts that mission are considered primary drivers to faculty/staff engagement. In addition to mission understanding, this category is based on survey items that provide insight into the level of pride in being associated with the institution and the willingness to recommend the institution as an employer.
• Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness
  It is widely regarded that the experience of one’s immediate supervisor is among the most important factors influencing whether an employee is truly engaged. This recognition category is based on the survey items providing insight into critical managerial competencies such as providing clear direction and constructive feedback and ensuring effective communication and equitable treatment.
• Confidence in Senior Leadership
  This recognition category is based on the expressed confidence faculty and staff report in the capabilities and credibility of senior leadership. In the Great Colleges To Work For program, “senior leadership” is defined as the most senior members of the institution (e.g., chancellor or president and those who report directly to him/her).
• Inclusion, Belonging & Community
  This recognition category is reserved for program participants who are demonstrating an institutionalized commitment to building a sense of community, as reported through the experiences of faculty and staff.

In addition to the responses collected through the ModernThink Higher Education Insight Survey, recognition considers overall response rate, data broken down by demographic subsets, benefits data and information collected through the IQ.

The 2025 survey was administered to a random sample of 600 full-time employees, while the 2026 survey invited all full-time employees to participate. The response rate increased from 32.8% in 2025 to 49% in 2026.

Results also improved across all 10 broad survey categories. Overall, the average positive response increased by four percentage points to 76%, while the average negative response decreased by five percentage points to 9%.

For more details about UTRGV's performance and comparison to our 2025 results, view our full Topline Survey Results.

Past Survey Results

• 2025 Survey Results
• 2024 Survey Results 

What Employees Appreciate Most
Employees most frequently expressed appreciation for:

• Supportive coworkers, strong teams, and a sense of community
• The opportunity to serve students and make a difference in the Rio Grande Valley
• UTRGV’s continued growth and expanding opportunities
• Feeling valued, trusted, and supported by colleagues and supervisors
• Employee benefits, job stability, and workplace flexibility
• Pride in UTRGV and its impact on the region

Opportunities for Continued Improvement
Employees identified opportunities to strengthen:

• Competitive and equitable compensation
• Leadership consistency, accountability, and support
• Transparent communication and meaningful employee involvement
• Career development, advancement, and internal mobility
• Workload, staffing, processes, and access to resources across campuses and units

Recent Developments Generating Excitement
Employees expressed the most enthusiasm about:

• The launch of football and the continued growth of athletics
• UTRGV’s R1 designation and expanding research profile
• Growth in academic, health, and community-focused programs
• New and improved facilities
• UTRGV’s overall growth, visibility, and momentum