Town Hall: Results of the Start, Stop, Continue Survey

Prepared by David Consiglio (11/22/2024)

Reading these results

The results provided here attempt to present a comprehensive overview of the perspectives expressed by Bryn Mawr College's faculty in the "Stop, Start, Continue" survey conducted from September 19, 2024, to September 30, 2024. Before proceeding to the details, some context may help with understanding the approach taken to the analysis.

The survey consisted of five questions, four of which were open-ended and one Net Promoter Score (NPS) question. The four open-ended questions were intentionally broad in scope and answered by over 100 faculty. This produced three outcomes not typically seen with more focused questions or with a smaller number of responses.

1. There was a much higher number of themes coming out of the data than usual. Across the four questions, more than 150 themes emerged that were mentioned by more than one person. There are many other ideas expressed by individuals that did not rise to the level of a theme because only one person expressed them, some of which were expressed in detail. Even within the context of the 150+ themes identified, there were too many to discuss each theme in detail. Therefore, the discussion of themes that appear below is limited to those mentioned by at least 5% of the respondents.
2. The broad nature of the questions meant there were few themes mentioned by a large minority of respondents and only one theme expressed by a majority. The one majority theme was advocating for a continued emphasis on the College’s academics. This theme was comprised of many sub-themes. The overwhelming majority of themes were expressed by a relatively small percentage of respondents (<15%).
3. The wide amount of thematic material means the data could be organized in many ways, all of which would be reasonable. The analysis below organizes the results reflecting the nested nature of many of the ideas expressed. As a result, theme-subtheme (what social scientists refer to as parent-child themes) structures proliferate throughout the analysis.

It is also worth noting what is not presented here. Typically, theme analysis is accompanied by selected quotes from the data that represent the themes. Because of the sheer number of themes identified, quotes are not included in this version of the analysis. Some quotes are included on the slide deck presented at the December 10, 2024, meeting.

The analysis is based on responses from 111 of the 244 Bryn Mawr faculty invited to participate, representing a 45.5% response rate.

Thematic Analysis

CONTINUE

The overwhelming majority of responses to the “Continue” question highlighted areas where the College is excelling:

• Academics: Over 60% of respondents emphasized the value of the College’s academics. While there was no consensus on specific topics, the most commonly mentioned were:
  • Interdisciplinary programs (10%)
  • Faculty research (10%)
  • Liberal Arts curriculum (9%)
  • Humanities (9%)
  • Graduate programs (8%)
  • Academic excellence/rigor (8%)
  • Small class sizes (7%)
• Values and Ideology: Over 25% praised the College’s values, with diversity (8%) and the commitment to women’s education (8%) cited most frequently.
• Building Community: A quarter of respondents (25%) highlighted community-building efforts, including faculty lunches and coffee hours, with some expressing a desire for more opportunities for cross-population interaction.
• Pay, Benefits, and Workload: Close to 20% indicated a desire for continued attention to this area, though no single idea was mentioned by more than 5% of respondents.
• College Programs: 17% highlighted positive feedback on various campus programs, with the 360 program (9%) being the only one mentioned by more than 5%.
• Students: 16% appreciated the College’s students, with the most focus on student research (8%) and student diversity (6%).
• Administrative Departments: Approximately 13% mentioned specific departments.

START

The majority of responses to the “Start” question focused on improving existing areas rather than introducing new initiatives:

• Productivity and Time Demands: Nearly 30% discussed workload and productivity concerns, including:
  • Excessive workload or undervaluation of certain aspects (12%)
  • Difficulty finding time for research (9%)
  • Support for reducing workload to a 2-2 courseload (8%)
  • Issues with STEM faculty working in the summer without proper compensation (5%)
• College Programs: Over 28% expressed a desire for enhancements or additions to College programs. The only commonly mentioned topic was Interdisciplinary programs (6%), with opinions divided on whether to increase (3%) or reduce (2%).
• Pay and Benefits: 24% highlighted concerns about pay and benefits, with increased faculty pay (8%) being the most frequently mentioned.
• Promotion and Tenure: 17% expressed a need for improvements in promotion and tenure processes, with calls for:
  • Greater recognition of service work (5%)
  • Increased transparency (5%)
• Improved Student Support: 13% emphasized the need for better student support, particularly advocating for a testing center (9%).
• External Relations: 11% called for stronger engagement beyond the campus, with 7% focusing on Bryn Mawr’s involvement in the local community and Philadelphia.
• Improved Non-Tenure Track Opportunities: 11% raised concerns about policies for non-tenure track faculty, with 7% advocating for clearer hiring paths.
• College Staff: 11% mentioned the College staff including more pay, increasing/decreasing staff size, or specific concerns, though no dominant themes emerged.
• Communication and Transparency: 9% called for greater transparency and improved communication.
• Highlight Success: 7% wanted the College to emphasize its successes more.
• Greater Faculty Interaction: 7% expressed a desire for more interaction among faculty members.

STOP

Responses to the “Stop” question were the most critical, identifying areas for reduction or elimination:

• Reduce College Programs: 25% called for fewer programs, though there was no consensus on specific ones. The most mentioned were interdisciplinary programs (7%)
• Administrative Departments: 15% expressed concerns about administrative departments
• Faculty Overworked: 14% mentioned being overworked, with some welcoming a 2-2 course load.
• Faculty Governance: Approximately 8% raised concerns about governance processes, though there was little consistency among the responses.

NET PROMOTER SCORE (NPS)

• The NPS question asked respondents how likely they are to recommend Bryn Mawr as a good place to work. The scale ranged from 0 to 10. The Net Promoter Score is calculated by breaking the respondents into three groups: Promoters (9 and 10), Passives (7 and 8), and Detractors (0 to 6), then subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters and multiplying the resultant number by 100. These categories are industry standards.
• The Net Promoter Score for faculty respondents was a moderately good 14.7 with the following breakdown:
  • Promoters – 39.2%
  • Passives – 36.3%
  • Detractors – 24.5%

COMMENTS

• Survey Appreciation: Approximately 18% expressed appreciation for the survey, with 2% sharing concerns about it.
• Great Place to Work: 11% described Bryn Mawr as a great place to work in various ways.
• Morale Issues: 8% raised concerns about morale, though the issues cited varied. Some respondents expressed mixed feelings, e.g., describing a “love-hate relationship” with the institution.

Prepared by David Consiglio (11/22/2024)

Reading these results

The results provided here attempt to present a comprehensive overview of the perspectives expressed by Bryn Mawr College's staff in the "Stop, Start, Continue" survey conducted from September 19, 2024, to September 30, 2024. Before proceeding to the details, some context may help with understanding the approach taken to the analysis.

The survey consisted of five questions, four of which were open-ended and one Net Promoter Score (NPS) question. The four open-ended questions were intentionally broad in scope and answered by over 200 staff. This produced three outcomes not typically seen with more focused questions or with a smaller number of responses.

1. There was a much higher number of themes coming out of the data than usual. Across the four questions, more than 150 themes emerged that were mentioned by more than one person. There are many other ideas expressed by individuals that did not rise to the level of a theme because only one person expressed them, some of which were expressed in detail. Even within the context of the 150+ themes identified, there were too many to discuss each theme in detail. Therefore, the discussion of themes that appear below is limited to those mentioned by at least 5% of the respondents.
2. The broad nature of the questions meant there were few themes mentioned by a large minority of respondents and only one theme expressed by a majority. The one majority theme was advocating for a continued emphasis on the College’s academics. This theme was comprised of many sub-themes. The overwhelming majority of themes were expressed by a relatively small percentage of respondents (<15%).
3. The wide amount of thematic material means the data could be organized in many ways, all of which would be reasonable. The analysis below organizes the results reflecting the nested nature of many of the ideas expressed. As a result, theme-subtheme (what social scientists refer to as parent-child themes) structures proliferate throughout the analysis.

It is also worth noting what is not presented here. Typically, theme analysis is accompanied by selected quotes from the data that represent the themes. Because of the sheer number of themes identified, quotes are not included in this version of the analysis. Some quotes are included on the slide deck presented at the December 10, 2024, meeting.

The analysis is based on responses from 219 of the 536 Bryn Mawr staff invited to participate, representing a 40.9% response rate.

Thematic Analysis

CONTINUE

The overwhelming majority of responses to the “Continue” question were expressions of things the College is doing well.

• Academics: More than a third of all staff respondents mentioned some aspect of academics (35%) as something the College is doing well. Fourteen different ideas were mentioned by at least two staff members, but only Academic Excellence/Rigor (9%) was mentioned by at least 5% of respondents.
• Community Building: One in four staff members highlighted some aspect of the College’s efforts to build community (24%).
• Values and Ideology: Similarly, 24% of staff identified the College’s values as something they appreciate. The two values most commonly mentioned were a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (10%) and women’s education (8%).
• College Programs: Nearly as many respondents (22%) discussed particular College programs as a positive. A variety of programs were mentioned, but only making the College affordable/financial aid (9%) was mentioned by at least 5% of respondents.
• Pay and Benefits: 18% discussed some aspect of pay and benefits, with the majority requesting an increase. Although no single item was mentioned by more than 5%, professional development opportunities, more remote work possibilities, and a general request for increased benefits and pay were the most frequent themes.
• Administrative Departments: One in ten respondents (10%) mentioned administrative departments by name, but no department was mentioned by more than a handful of respondents.
• Staff and Students: Ten percent of respondents mentioned both staff and students on a variety of topics. The only themes mentioned by more than a few respondents were Staff Excellence (4%) and Student Excellence (4%).
• Technology: Approximately 6% mentioned a desire for continued and increased use of technologies on campus.

START

The overwhelming majority of responses to the “Start” question were not new ideas. Instead, they mostly represented concerns about aspects of the College that are not functioning the way respondents would wish.

• Pay, Benefits, and Professional Development: Just over half of staff respondents (52%) identified concerns related to pay, benefits, and professional development. The most frequently mentioned items included:
  • Increasing remote work opportunities and flexible scheduling (10%)
  • Tuition benefits for employees (9%)
  • Increased training opportunities (8%)
  • A four-day work week in the summer and additional days off during fall, winter, and spring breaks (7%)
• Campus Culture: More than a third of staff expressed concerns about the current campus culture (35%). The most mentioned themes included:
  • Breaking down campus silos and greater community building (18%). This was one of the most frequently mentioned standalone themes in the staff survey.
  • Classism and inequality between faculty and staff (8%)
  • A need for greater accountability (5%) by various members of the community
  • A desire for improved campus communication (5%)
• Physical Campus: 19% of respondents expressed a desire for improvements to the physical campus. The items mentioned by at least 5% of respondents included:
  • Much-needed building maintenance (6%)
  • Specific spaces in need of attention (6%)
• Technology and Data: One in ten respondents (10%) advocated for more use of technology and data.
• Human Resources Office: 8% expressed concerns about specific HR issues, though there was little commonality among the responses.
• External Relationships: 6% want Bryn Mawr to have a greater presence beyond the campus.

STOP

Answers to the “Stop” question were generally the most negative responses in the survey. More than two-thirds of all staff respondents offered items the College should stop doing. Nearly 40 different ideas were mentioned by at least two staff members. Despite the proliferation of thoughts, only one item was mentioned by at least 5% of respondents.

• Not Holding People Accountable: 6% of respondents said they wanted the College to hold people accountable, with half specifically mentioning that students need to be held accountable.

NET PROMOTER SCORE (NPS)

• The NPS question asked respondents how likely they are to recommend Bryn Mawr as a good place to work. The scale ranged from 0 to 10. The Net Promoter Score is calculated by breaking the respondents into three groups: Promoters (9 and 10), Passives (7 and 8), and Detractors (0 to 6), then subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters and multiplying the resultant number by 100. These categories are industry standards.
• The Net Promoter Score for staff respondents was a favorable 27.1 with the following breakdown:
  • Promoters – 42.9%
  • Passives – 41.4%
  • Detractors – 15.8%

COMMENTS

• Great Place to Work: 17% of staff mentioned Bryn Mawr as a great place to work. This sentiment was expressed in various ways, but many used the words “a great place to work.”
• People on Campus (Positive and Negative): One in ten respondents mentioned members of the community in their comments. The majority were positive (7.2%), but a small number were negative (2.9%).
• Benefits and Pay: 7% reiterated their desire for improved pay and benefits.
• Survey: 7% mentioned the survey, with the majority expressing appreciation for it, though a few voiced concerns.
• Campus and Buildings: 6% mentioned the campus and its buildings. Half of these comments indicated that the facilities need attention.
• Excited about Wendy and the Future: 5% of respondents expressed excitement about the future of the College, with most specifically mentioning their optimism about the President.

• All faculty and staff were invited to share what they think the College should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing.​
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• The community is frequently asked to share opinions on specific subjects but rarely asked about the College as a whole.​
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• I wanted to hear as much as possible about the College from as many members of the community as possible. I read every response and learned a lot! ​

• Survey opened on September 19th and closed on September 30th.​
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• Response rates – faculty 45.5%, staff 40.9% (very high!) ​
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• Analysis process:​
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  • Dave identified “themes” within the responses; organized the themes based on their relationship to each other and; observed how frequently themes occur ​
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  • I read all of the responses, plus Dave’s report, and put together this presentation. ​

• Many, many themes were raised – more than 150 unique themes from each population. ​
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• Many areas of opportunity were not readily bucketed.​
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• Net Promoter Score (NPS) questions show how likely respondents were to recommend Bryn Mawr College to a colleague as a good place to work. Faculty NPS = 14.7 (Moderately good); staff NPS = 27.1 (Favorable)  ​

• Many of the themes identified in this survey replicate those in the four strategic planning reports.​
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• Some of what is named here we are already working on.​
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• There is no clear consensus on what to stop, start, or continue (that is both good and bad....)​

Five Key Themes in which values —particularly around DEIA and women’s education — were integrated, including:

• Academics (including Programs) ​
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• Student Experience ​
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• Community Building & Silos​
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• Pay, Benefits, Professional Development, Workload ​
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• Physical and Operational Infrastructure​

• Core to mission and the north star in our value proposition — reaffirming our identity as the “scholarly sister.”​
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• Mixed opinion about whether we have too many or not enough programs.​
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• Desire to celebrate academic success among faculty and students internally and externally.​
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• Invitations to review and possibly reorganize some experientially related academic programs such as 360s, Praxis, TriCo in the City, etc. ​

Data

“Bryn Mawr should continue to focus on achieving academic excellence. This should be a college's first and foremost mission.” – faculty member ​
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“[W]e should continue to be invested in academic excellence, empowering women in education, and community engagement.” – staff member ​
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“Investing in research not only fosters an environment of inquiry and creativity but also attracts top talent and can lead to groundbreaking discoveries. By providing more resources, funding opportunities, and administrative support for research initiatives, we can empower our faculty to pursue their passions and drive impactful scholarship.” – faculty member ​
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“[Start] [b]oasting more about its strengths and accomplishments, from all demographics: students, faculty and alumnae.” – faculty member ​
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“[Start] [c]elebrating successes (e.g., promotions and tenure). They rarely are! Mention them at faculty meetings.” – faculty member ​

• Center students in holistic approaches to advising.​
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• Many questions about how to best support our low-income students; how to assess the effectiveness of current support and expand it.​
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• Questions about bridge programs and helping lesser prepared students succeed in their first year.​

Data

“BMC should continue to provide a thorough and rigorous education to all students while also offering support (educational, financial, emotional) to students who need it.” – staff member ​
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“Keep working to make the campus more accessible and diverse (No-Loan for Families Under $110K, Change Agent Funds).” – staff member ​
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“Start a bridge program for admitted students who have limited quantitative preparation but want to major in subjects that require it (like STEM and some social sciences). We cannot pat ourselves on our backs for diversifying our student body while not offering the resources they need to succeed and pursue their passions. Current programs like STEMLA are not targeting these students.” – faculty member ​

• Community seems to be a key part of people’s experiences and faculty -staff crossover events are very welcomed.  ​
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• Events in the last few years (COVID, the student strike, the campus protests) have consequences some are still experiencing.​
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• Many named silos among departments and between faculty and staff. Strong sense of a hierarchy/classism between faculty and staff.​
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• Lots of comments about limited time.​
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• Some desire to integrate alums more in the life of the College and life of current students.​

Data

“I believe that the college should continue its efforts to build a sense of community between students, between faculty, and between all of the different groups on campus.” – faculty member

“Create more opportunities for meaningful dialogue across students, faculty, and staff to build trust and recognize shared values and goals.” – staff member ​
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“Bring faculty back on campus with a slow and continuing rebuilding of community post Covid, including families as well. We need visible community for our students.” – faculty member ​
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“Cultivate a culture of mutual respect and collaboration rather than competition.” – staff member ​

"We are a place that's able to build and maintain strong working relationships - people truly care about the place AND the people. We generally see each other as humans and we need to continue to foster those connections." - staff member​

“I am a staff member and have been here for many years and there has always been a divide between faculty and staff.  As I mentioned above, and wholeheartedly believe our faculty is incredible but they would not be as successful without the support of staff and administration. Some faculty and senior leaders recognize this, but sadly many don't.” – staff member​
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“There is a wide (and, seemingly, widening) gap between faculty and staff benefits - so much so, that I feel less supported as someone without faculty status.” – staff member ​

• Many respondents welcome attention to these topics including onboarding, salary scales, professional reviews, benefits packages, parental leave, childcare support, longer hours at the campus gym, help with childcare in the weeks just before the semester begins when camps are closed, etc. ​
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• There is a strong request for professional development and growth opportunities and resources including training for all managers.​
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• There is concern about overwork and being stretched too thin among some faculty and staff.​
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• There are many – many! – requests to revisit remote working policies and agreements and inequities across units as well as SEPTA passes for staff and faculty.  ​

• There is some desire for clear expectations and accountability around service for faculty. ​

Data

“The College should start thinking about how to do less.  When we are all operating at maximum professional capacity all of the time, we find that we have little room left for our own humanity (not to mention the needs of our children, partners, parents, friends, neighbors, and communities).” – faculty member ​
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“The amount of work that is required to make this College function well is more human hours than we currently have the staffing for.” – staff member ​

“Invest in professional development opportunities of staff.” – staff member ​
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“I believe that all staff members that have worked for seven years should have access to tuition funding.” – staff member ​
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“[Continue] [t]he remote work policy.  Even the one day per week makes a huge difference to work/life balance. Consider changing it to two days a week.” – staff member ​
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“For a women's college, I thought there would be stronger policies in support of maternal health and maternity leave.” – staff member ​
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“I would also like to see increased flexibility in remote work options for staff, and more balanced benefits between salaried and hourly staff.” – staff member ​
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“Continue to prioritize salary raises to bring us in line with peer institutions.” – faculty member ​

• Many people want more and/or different physical spaces, systems, and technologies. ​
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• There is a general awareness of the need for investment in physical facilities.​
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• Several people asked how technology could continue to be expanded to make operations more efficient.  ​

Data

“Spaces for gatherings and collaboration. We need a Humanities Center (speakers, colloquia, etc.). Having dedicated places to meet makes a big difference.” – faculty member ​
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“Continue to invest in the landscape, buildings, and spaces occupied by students.” – staff member ​
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“Create a comfortable space in Dalton for casual conversation. Get some plants to humanize the seating areas in the atrium stairwell of Dalton.” – faculty member ​
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“Continue investing in classroom/campus technology.” – staff member ​

1. Of the 5 key themes, which one do you think is the most important?
   • Academics (35 votes)
   • Pay, Benefits, Professional Development, Workload (22 votes)
   • Student Experience (16 votes)
   • Physical and Operational Infrastructure (15 votes)
   • Community Building & Silos (12 votes)
      
2. Of the 5 key themes, which one do you think is the least important?
   • Community Building & Silos (52 votes)
   • Physical and Operational Infrastructure (23 votes)
   • Pay, Benefits, Professional Development, Workload (11 votes)
   • Academics (7 votes)
   • Student Experience (7 votes)
      
3. As we build budgets to meet priorities, which of these themes should we spend the most money on?
   • Pay, Benefits, Professional Development, Workload (38 votes)
   • Physical and Operational Infrastructure (34 votes)
   • Academics (12 votes)
   • Student Experience (10 votes)
   • Community Building & Silos (2 votes)
      
4. As we build budgets to meet priorities, which of these themes should we spend the least money on?
   • Community Building & Silos (71 votes)
   • Academics (10 votes)
   • Physical and Operational Infrastructure (9 votes)
   • Student Experience (6 votes)
   • Pay, Benefits, Professional Development, Workload (1 vote)