Updates
October 18, 2021
October 11th – October 20th: Rich Boyer from ModernThink meeting with division leads and college deans to go over their respective area results.
Starting October 18th: Campus Climate Liaisons will work with divisions and colleges and assist in the result sharing and action planning process on a department level.
September 30, 2021
Dear UTRGV Family,
You spoke, and we listened. And based on what you’ve said, the UTRGV experience has improved dramatically since 2018.
But now that all the data from the Transforming our World Campus Climate Survey is analyzed, the time has come to share the full results and see what drove these remarkable outcomes.
All employees and students are welcome and encouraged to attend the following town halls presented by ModernThink:
Employee Town Hall
Wednesday,
October 6 3:30 PM
(Access the meeting by clicking the details above)
NOTE: Given the recent reorganization of the units formerly under the Division of Health Affairs, HR will help facilitate the StandPoint Engagement Survey results for faculty and staff in the College of Health Professions, as the School of Medicine already conducted its town hall.
Student Town Hall
Thursday,
October 7 3:30 PM
(Access the meeting by clicking the details above)
After the Town Halls
- ModernThink will meet with each division’s leadership and College Dean to discuss their respective division/college results.
- Every department will get an assigned campus climate liaison to assist with the result roll-out and action planning process.
Thank you for your tireless commitment to advancing UTRGV’s mission. I look forward to joining you as we take this next step on our transformational journey.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey
President
July 19, 2021
Dear UTRGV Family,
A few months ago, we reached out to every student and full-time employee in hopes of learning more about how to improve the UTRGV experience. And after everything that has happened over the past year — the challenges and sacrifices, fear and uncertainty — there are only two words that begin to acknowledge what you’ve done for our institution: Thank you.
Considering that the Transforming Our World Campus Climate Survey was administered during a global pandemic, we are so pleased, not only by the turnout but also by the overwhelming sense of pride, satisfaction, and trust that our students, faculty, and staff have in UTRGV.
This year, approximately 54% of full-time employees and 7% of all students made their voices heard by participating in the survey. If you don’t think those numbers are impressive, let us provide some context. According to ModernThink, our survey partner, the average employee response rate on similar surveys administered at colleges and universities across the country is 44%. Though more employees responded this year compared to 2018 (50%), our student response rate was slightly lower than it was three years ago but still within the typical range for student surveys nationwide.
“Unheard of” Results
While these strong participation figures reveal confidence in this process, the results themselves say significantly more about our people and the ground we have covered to this point. Based on your feedback, UTRGV’s campus climate has improved dramatically since the 2018 survey. Some of the most striking advances were among employees, which saw significant increases in positive responses across all areas, including double-digit gains in some categories. According to ModernThink, shifts of this magnitude are virtually unheard of. We should all be proud of what this means for our university and celebrate these achievements.
Next Steps
ModernThink will formally present the full results of both the employee and student surveys during separate LIVE online town halls, while faculty and staff in the Division of Health Affairs will receive results from their StandPointEngagement Survey from AAMC. The details of these sessions are still being finalized, but we invite everyone to join and learn more about what led to these remarkable outcomes. In the meantime, our team will continue to analyze the data and hold division meetings in preparation for action planning this fall.
Overall, the sentiment here at UTRGV is very positive. But while we have made incredible progress across the institution since 2018, there is still much work to do. Once again, thank you for taking the time to participate in this year’s survey — we can’t say it enough. Your perspective is critical to our success and is already helping guide decisions that will enhance the UTRGV experience now and in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey & Janna Arney
President Deputy President & Interim Provost
February 26, 2021
Dear UTRGV Community,
We know you’re handling a lot right now. But despite the urgent tasks, it's just as important to pause and reflect on where you are — and where you want to be.
With all that is going on, your participation in this year’s Campus Climate Survey is more critical than ever. That’s why UTRGV extended the survey submission deadline to
March 1 — because we believe everyone should have a chance to make their voice heard, especially during a time like this.
All full-time faculty and full-time staff are empowered to participate and complete the survey in three easy steps:
- Go to your UTRGV email.
- Look for the email from ModernThink LLC.
- Click on the link and provide your feedback — submit!
Participating in the Campus Climate Survey is one of the best opportunities to share unique perspectives, ideas, and solutions. So go ahead, take a break and tell us how to we can make UTRGV work better for you.
Thank you to all who have already completed the survey. We appreciate the time you took to improve the UTRGV experience for all current and future students and employees. Please continue to encourage your colleagues to do the same.
For information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit www.utrgv.edu/campusclimate.
February 22, 2021
Dear Campus Community,
We are happy to announce that we are extending the deadline to submit the Campus Climate Survey by one week to March 1. Participating in the Campus Climate Survey is a great opportunity for students and employees to share their perspectives, ideas, and solutions.
All full-time faculty, full-time staff, and enrolled students are empowered to participate and can access the survey using the unique link sent via email by ModernThink. The submission window is quickly closing. This confidential and anonymous survey will close at midnight on Monday, March 1. So, don’t delay — take a moment to submit yours now if you haven't done so.
Thank you to all who have already completed the survey. We appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts and concerns. Please continue to encourage your colleagues to do the same.
Please visit www.utrgv.edu/campusclimate for information and a list of frequently asked questions.
NOTE: Faculty and staff across the Division of Health Affairs are participating in a separate StandPoint™ Survey, administered by the AAMC.
February 2, 2021
Dear UTRGV Community,
Much can change in a year. And though we are still fighting through the ongoing pandemic, I want to remind you of how important our campus climate and culture continue to be.
The pandemic has undoubtedly changed our relationship to campus, which makes assessing where we are now even more critical. One of the simplest and most effective ways to influence UTRGV’s future is to participate in this year’s Campus Climate Survey. UTRGV initiated this campaign in 2018 to assess our campus climate and inform our efforts to promote a welcoming and inclusive campus culture, along with values around engagement, shared governance, leadership, and well-being. Although the pandemic may have delayed or impacted our progress in some areas, we’ve discovered many new opportunities to thrive together. We are committed to continuing the process with this year’s follow-up survey and gauging the collective progress we’ve made.
Once again, we’re partnering with ModernThink LLC, an independent research and consulting firm, to administer this confidential and anonymous Campus Climate Survey and encourage your most sincere and candid responses. All full-time faculty, full-time staff, and enrolled students will receive an email from ModernThink on February 8, 2021, with a unique survey invite link. UTRGV will not be given any information in a way that would enable us to trace answers back to a specific person - even if you are part of a small demographic group.
Faculty and staff across the Division of Health Affairs will have an opportunity to participate in a separate StandPoint™ Survey, administered by the AAMC, starting February 9. Through this survey, we will be able to compare our Medical School and allied Health Programs to other similar institutions across the country. The feedback gathered will also help us understand the unique needs of the Division and identify ways of improving collaboration and overall satisfaction among Health Affairs faculty and staff. The Division of Health Affairs will be sharing an analysis of the progress made since 2018, along with the distribution plan for this new survey.
Our campuses and facilities are places for learning, working, living, and growing. Whether you’ve been accessing campus regularly or connecting from a distance, you play a significant role in shaping our university — now and in the years to come. Your feedback and active participation are not only appreciated; they are essential to our success. Thank you in advance for your participation. Please visit utrgv.edu/campusclimate for more information and a list of frequently asked questions.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey
President
April 13, 2020
In Fall 2019, UTRGV departments submitted progress reports on their action plans and commitments to continue their successes and improve areas of opportunity. All scorecards, action plans, and first progress reports are now available via the UTRGV Campus Climate Survey Website. Campus climate liaisons are currently in the process of gathering the second progress reports, and campus climate initiatives and highlights will be shared with our campus community soon.
Thank you for your diligent work towards your identified goals and continued support.
For more information, contact Nicole.Englitsch@utrgv.edu.
October 31, 2019
The Campus Climate Committee recently created a website for important information about UTRGV’s Campus Climate Survey. The website includes climate survey results, action plans and will soon include your first progress reports.
In Spring 2019, UTRGV departments created action plans to continue their successes and improve areas of opportunity. As a result, campus climate survey liaisons are currently gathering the first progress reports on the commitments each area embarked on. UTRGV is committed to move the "needle" in a positive direction. We look forward to your continued support. Please access the UTRGV Campus Climate Survey Website for more information.
March 19, 2019
Since January 2019, division/department-wide meetings have been taking place to review the results of the survey at the institutional, divisional and departmental levels. The Office of Human Resources and the Staff Senate have partnered to develop a group of survey facilitators who attend these meetings and facilitate the conversations regarding the findings of the survey. Each division/department is challenged to develop an action plan focusing on the top 2-3 areas identified as needing improvement. Everyone’s participation is needed in order to ensure that everyone is heard! Action Plans are due in April 2019 and follow up status reporting will be needed in Fall 2019 and Spring 2020.
November 30, 2018
Results of the Campus Climate Survey conducted in the Spring were shared with faculty and staff at town hall meetings held on October 12. In addition to the presentations conducted at the town hall sessions, ModernThink consultant, Rich Boyer, facilitated an interactive meeting with students on November 5 to share student survey results and discuss specific areas of concerns and opportunities for positive change. To continue progress in fostering a healthy campus climate, Mr. Boyer will be visiting UTRGV December 11-13 to meet with university leaders regarding survey results and opportunities at the unit level to address areas of concerns. Upon completion of the visit, the expectation is that campus leaders will implement communication strategies to further share survey data with faculty, staff, and students in their units and develop action plans around the survey results to positively impact the climate and culture in our UTRGV community.