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WMYou Employee Engagement Survey

As an employee of Western, thank you for taking part in the 2022 Employee Engagement Survey. As we together provide our students with a high-quality educational experience, it's critical to foster an environment in which all employees are supported, engaged and respected for their work. Throughout this workplace culture change process—and always—your perspective on how we can continue to advance and improve our work environment is appreciated and needed.

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Western Michigan University Employee Engagement 2023 Plan

January 2023 update

Goal: Enhance Western Michigan University's workplace culture

Objectives: Among faculty and staff

  • Increase a sense of appreciation for their effort, contributions and results.
  • Enhance communication at all organizational levels from interpersonal to campuswide.
  • Increase transparent communication at all organizational levels of engagement.
  • Increase a sense of being valued and offer new supports.

This plan outlines steps the President’s Cabinet will be taking and those that remain under consideration to enhance Western’s workplace culture. The Cabinet seeks to be an employer of choice where our staff and faculty feel seen, heard and valued. It has been created with a focus on impact and true change. 

The strategies described in this plan are the direct result of extensive engagement with the faculty and staff community.

A process of assessment, analysis and planning began with the Employee Engagement Survey in spring 2022. The results were analyzed by a Survey Action Team of faculty and staff. The University then held campuswide workshops to explore recommendations for enhancing appreciation, communication, transparency—the three needs identified by the action team—and value and support, a theme added by the Cabinet. The Cabinet then built the plan based on the workshop data that was analyzed and organized with the help from three Survey Action Team members.

The table below indicates the actions and initiatives that will advance each objective as Western seeks to become an employer of choice. 

 AppreciationCommunicationTransparencyValue and support
Committed actions
16 hours of additional annual leave, two additional closure daysX  X
Onward for the Brown and Gold Series XX 
Develop and expand new avenues for professional developmentX  X
Monthly cabinet listen-and-learn visitsXXXX
Division recognition programsX  X
Universitywide community-building and appreciation eventsXX  
Examine and enhance faculty and staff communications XXX
Potential initiatives
Office hours and invite a cabinet member XX 
Vice presidential forums XX 

Committed actions

  • Sixteen (16) hours of additional annual leave and two additional closure days

    Starting July 1, 2023, the University will add 16 hours of Annual Leave to the annual leave bank for non-bargaining staff. 

    Two additional closure days for non-bargaining staff will be on the Fridays of fall and spring recess and occur on March 10, 2023, and Oct. 20, 2023. It is our intent that these changes will be ongoing beyond 2023. 

    In accordance with our agreements, we will also have discussions with the leadership of AFSCME, MSEA, POA, and WMU-AAUP (fiscal year faculty) to reach agreement on providing additional Annual Leave and Closure Days for employees working in those bargaining groups. 

    The new approach seeks to build on the spirit of the 2022 summer work schedule offered to non-bargaining staff while providing each employee with greater flexibility. While widely appreciated by many, the summer schedule was available only to non-bargaining staff and impacted our ability to offer the service expected by the community. With the addition of annual leave hours and closure days, the 2023 summer work schedule for non-bargaining employees will return to include the hours of noon to 5 p.m. on Fridays. The additional leave hours and closure days allows for summer flexibility where practical, responds to the needs of campus and empowers all employees to take personal time in a way that works best for them.

  • Onward for the Brown and Gold Series

    In 2023, members of the President’s Cabinet will hold a series of information sessions on how Western operates and the forces that shape decision-making. The series builds upon the popular Behind the W program, which was well attended and received positive reviews. It will break down the complexity of the University into the foundational elements that inform and influence the decisions leadership make, University operations and everyone’s contributions. The sessions will be presented by vice presidents and other senior leaders in one-hour segments, roughly divided into a 45-minute presentation and 15-minute opportunity for questions and answers.  

    Potential topics include: 

    • Empowering Futures: Improving student outcomes while leading the nation.

    • Did you know? Making the most of your employee benefits. 

    • How the University budget works.

    • Living our values: What diversity, equity and inclusion mean at Western. 

    • Looking ahead: Enrollment outlook.

    • Looking ahead: State funding outlook. 

    • Looking ahead: Trends in higher education that impact WMU.

    • Managing change: How WMU is adapting to a dynamic world.

    • Philanthropy: How donors and our comprehensive campaign fuel our mission.

    • Resourcing our mission: The financial state of the University.

    • The University brand: Increasing our competitiveness.

    • Who are our students: Understanding them and their needs.

    Universities are highly complex organizations operating in a fast-changing environment. Establishing a common understanding of how Western works will provide a basis for effective communication and meaningful transparency.  

  • Develop and expand new avenues for professional development

    The Cabinet has committed to creating more professional development opportunities. New offerings will build on, complement and expand current programs while offering development across a wide array of skills and competencies. The first step will be to inventory our current offerings, assess gaps and identify topics that will provide the greatest benefit.  

    Intentional programs that build lifelong skills and competencies will support our faculty and staff. They demonstrate that we aim to retain and develop talented Broncos because we value and appreciate them. The programs will offer career-long benefit and peers will benefit from strong teammates.  

  • Monthly Cabinet listen-and-learn visits

    The President’s Cabinet will directly connect with staff and faculty during a college or administrative division visit, held once each month. The visits will include a meet and greet paired with an opportunity for cabinet members to hear from the college or division about its accomplishments and aspirations.

    The visits are intended to build personal relationships that lead to a sense of appreciation, value and support. Cultivating personal relationships will improve transparent and two-way communication and build trust.

  • Division recognition programs

    Cabinet members will develop a recognition program for faculty and staff within each of their divisions. The new divisional recognitions will expand opportunities for recognition of exemplary contribution, innovation and results. Meaningful recognition is not one size fits all; it will vary by individual. Increasing the number and variety of recognitions available to staff and faculty expands opportunities for meaningful appreciation and directly communicate the value of our talented faculty and staff. 

    These programs will augment and add to Universitywide recognition programs, which include: the Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award, Distinguished Service Award, Distinguished Teaching Award, Excellence in Diversity Award, Emerging Scholar Award, Global Engagement Award, Make A Difference Awards and 25 Year Club Gala.

  • Universitywide community-building and appreciation events

    For 2023, the Cabinet has committed to continuing community-building and appreciation events launched or enhanced in 2022, including a Thank You Reception, Holiday Reception and Staff Bash. It will also offer a new Meet Western’s Leaders reception that builds on an event created and hosted by the Western Student Association last fall.

    These informal and loosely structured events will provide opportunities for staff and faculty to get to know senior administrators on a personal basis and connect with colleagues. Stronger personal relationships will build the community and collegiality that enhance open communication and feelings of being valued, supported and appreciated.

  • Examine and enhance faculty and staff communications

    This spring 2023 semester, the University will conduct a communication and media-use survey to assess and enhance staff and faculty communications. The survey will identify the information that is most valued by faculty and staff. It will also capture their media preferences as well as the ideal frequency and format of communication.

    This approach is a first step of building our community and becoming partners in our communication at all levels. Implemented insights will contribute to transparency with the goal of building trust and confidence, reducing confusion and mitigating inaccurate rumors.

Potential initiatives

  • Office hours and invite a cabinet member

    Each cabinet member would have standing office hours for faculty and staff monthly. Cabinet members would also visit departments upon their request to discuss a specific topic or topics.

    Direct conversation about topics that affect staff and faculty as well as advance the University can improve two-way communication and transparency.

  • Vice presidential forums

    Each vice president would hold a forum for faculty and staff at least once per year. Topics and questions would be solicited in advance. They would be offered in a hybrid format and include both a presentation and discussion or Q&A time.

    Direct engagement on topics that affect staff and faculty as well as advance the University will improve two-way communication and transparency.

December 2022 update

At the three Employee Engagement Workshops this fall, approximately 200 participants generated more than 300 ideas to improve employee engagement and morale. The multitude of ideas are now organized and available for review.

Participants were organized into teams, and each focused on one of four focus areas: appreciation, communication, transparency, and value and support. They created recommendations for actions that could enhance our workplace culture. Ideas were created through a three-step process:

  1. Individual idea brainstorming.
  2. Sorting individual ideas into themes as a team.
  3. Prioritizing the ideas by voting.

Review workshop results and next steps

November 2022 update and Employee Engagement Workshop results

The Employee Engagement Workshop series concluded on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Faculty, staff and colleagues from around campus came together across the three sessions to share their ideas for improving the campus culture and amplifying the employee voice. 

The process of compiling and organizing the multitude of ideas submitted is underway, and the employee community will be able to decide which ideas will make the most appreciable change. The concepts employees prioritize will be developed into an action-oriented, measurable plan designed to help make progress on enhancing the Western work environment.

In the meantime, polling data is available from workshop participants who anonymously shared their assessment of Western and the Employee Engagement effort both before and after taking part in a workshop. The graphics below display the results of the five polls.

If you were unable to attend any of the three workshops, it’s not too late to contribute.

Submit thoughts, ideas and suggestions

  • Bar chart showing the tally of staff, faculty and other employees that participated in the Employee Engagement Workshop sessions. Full data available at the "What best describes your position?" table.

What best describes your position?

 Session 1Session 2Session 3Total
Staff90%79%88%87%
Faculty3%12%3%5%
Other7%10%9%8%
  • Bar chart showing the tally of workshop participants who did and did not complete the Employee Engagement Survey in spring 2022. Full data available at the "Did you complete the Employee Engagement Survey?" table.

Did you complete the Employee Engagement Survey?

 Session 1Session 2Session 3Total
Yes74%66%77%73%
No26%34%23%27%
  • Bar chart showing the results of how workshop participants felt about Western before and after workshop activities. Full data available at the "How do you feel about Western today?" table.

How do you feel about Western today?

 Session 1Session 2Session 3Total
 PrePostPrePostPrePostPrePost
Positive18%17%18%27%18%16%18%19%
Somewhat positive26%26%27%32%22%31%25%29%
Neutral25%25%29%23%28%31%27%27%
Somewhat negative23%25%20%18%21%10%22%18%
Negative8%7%7%0%10%10%9%7%
  • Bar chart showing how workshop participants felt about the Employee Engagement effort before and after workshop sessions. Full data available at the "How do you feel about the Employee Engagement effort?" table.

How do you feel about the Employee Engagement effort?

 Session 1Session 2Session 3Total
 PrePostPrePostPrePostPrePost
Hopeful13%23%27%38%15%24%17%27%
Somewhat hopeful35%35%47%32%43%32%40%33%
Neutral35%26%16%17%26%26%28%24%
Somewhat discouraged13%12%11%6%7%14%11%11%
Discouraged3%5%0%6%9%5%4%5%
  • Bar chart showing who workshop participants view as "senior leadership." Full data available at the "Who is senior leadership?" table.

Who is "Senior Leadership?"

 Session 1Session 2Session 3Total
Vice presidents83%86%93%87%
President's Cabinet members83%80%94%86%
Board of Trustees62%70%66%65%
Associate vice presidents/Associate provosts52%52%60%55%
Deans40%43%51%45%
Provost Council members49%25%46%43%
Chairs/directors19%32%24%24%
Associate deans19%18%27%22%

October 2022 update and Survey Action Team presentations

The Employee Engagement Survey Action Team presented their findings to and engaged in a robust and productive discussion with the President’s Cabinet in late August.

Since then, the Cabinet met twice to discuss next steps and Cabinet members met individually with the team’s members to develop these next steps. 

The Cabinet will create an action plan based on the three themes identified by the Engagement Team—communication, transparency and appreciation—as well as an additional category that emerged in reviewing the results: value and support. With this framework, we will proceed with the next steps in our yearslong culture-building journey that began with the first survey in 2019. To that end, the Cabinet has scheduled three Employee Engagement Workshops. 

Expect active engagement at the workshops with small group activities designed to ensure a full range of perspectives about behaviors and outcomes that may improve morale. Following the workshops, we will review the input we collect to inform a measurable action plan.  Because we want to make sure all employees can participate, one session will be held at 7 a.m. to provide an opportunity for those who have regular hours outside 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. or who cannot get away from their station during those hours. The sessions will be held:

  • Monday, Oct. 24, 10-11:15 a.m. in the Bernhard Center North Ballroom

  • Tuesday, Oct. 25, 7-8:30 a.m. in Bernhard Center rooms 208-210

  • Tuesday, Nov. 1, 3-4:15 p.m. in the Bernhard Center North Ballroom

Breakfast and coffee will be offered for the early risers at the 7 a.m. Oct. 25 session. Light refreshments will be served and a brief reception will follow each session. 

Supervisors are asked to make scheduling adjustments that maximize opportunities for staff to attend and to actively encourage participation from their teams.

 

April 2022 update

The Employee Engagement Survey Action Team is diligently diving into data collected on the survey conducted in the spring and continues to welcome input from the campus community on ways to improve campus culture. The team, appointed by University leadership and comprising stakeholder groups from across campus, is meeting throughout the summer to assess survey responses and identify themes that reflect employee views and feelings on workplace culture, support and engagement.

A report of initial, high-level results of the survey, featuring the top and bottom responses from faculty and employee groups, was released in April. The results were compiled by ModernThink, an outside vendor contracted by the University to ensure confidentiality.

Review high-level results

The action team has since received full survey results and is meeting throughout the summer, working diligently to analyze the data and provide perspective about potential growth points for the University. The team has formed subgroups to focus on the various themes represented in the survey questions and delve deeper into responses. 

The Employee Engagement Action Team will present its findings to the President's Cabinet in August to help guide leadership toward actionable steps to strengthen the Western community and address the needs of faculty and staff. 

Messages from President Montgomery

  • Oct. 5, 2022, You’re invited: Next steps for Employee Engagement

    Dear colleagues,

    I hope you have settled into the rhythm and are enjoying a productive semester. As we enter our second month, I sense a growing sense of rejuvenation with a return to an in-person community that is feeling increasingly familiar, welcomed and normal. 

    At the end of the spring semester, I shared the initial results from the Employee Engagement Survey and announced the Employee Engagement Survey Action Team of faculty and staff had agreed to work over the summer to analyze the quantitative and qualitative results and identify themes. Our colleagues did an outstanding job and the full team provided a presentation of their findings to the President’s Cabinet, which was followed by a robust discussion. Please find their presentations on the survey website. The team’s presentation was forthright, thoughtful and helpful. Please join me in thanking the Survey Action Team for their good work on behalf of all of us.

    The Cabinet takes morale and the results of the survey seriously. We’ve had two additional conversations about what we have learned so far and developed our next steps. As a result of the survey, each Cabinet member has committed to improve morale as part of their performance expectations and has committed to a set of initial action steps. They have also gotten division-level results so they may look at the findings within their own areas. Over the last month or so, cabinet members have also been meeting individually with Survey Action Team members to gain a more in-depth, first-hand perspective. 

    As for taking action as a full community, we have decided to create an action plan based on the three themes identified by the Employee Engagement Team: communication, transparency and appreciation. In addition, as the cabinet carefully reviewed the survey results, an important additional category emerged: value and support. We are now ready to take the next steps in our yearslong culture-building journey that began with the first survey in 2019. To that end, we have scheduled three Employee Engagement Workshops. 

    You can expect active engagement at the workshops with small group activities designed to ensure a full range of perspectives about behaviors and outcomes that may improve morale. Following the workshops, we will review the input we collect to inform a measurable action plan. Because we want to make sure all employees can participate, we will offer a 7 a.m. session to provide an opportunity for those who have regular hours outside 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. or who cannot get away from their station during those hours. The sessions will be held:

    • Monday, Oct. 24, 10-11:15 a.m. in the Bernhard Center North Ballroom
    • Tuesday, Oct. 25, 7-8:30 a.m. in Bernhard Center rooms 208-210
    • Tuesday, Nov. 1, 3-4:15 p.m. in the Bernhard Center North Ballroom

    Breakfast and coffee will be offered for the early risers at the 7 a.m. Oct. 25 session. Light refreshments will be served and a brief reception will follow each session. 

    I am asking for supervisors who set schedules to make adjustments that maximize opportunities for staff to attend and that you actively encourage participation from your teams. The more participation we have, the better able we will be to define success and chart a path to a strong first-choice culture. 

    I look forward to seeing you there.

    Sincerely,

    Edward Montgomery
    President

  • April 27, 2022, Initial Employee Engagement Survey results are available to review

    Dear colleagues,

    Three years ago, we launched the WMYou Employee Engagement Survey to assess our workplace culture and help measure progress on the University's strategic goals. As a result, we committed to enhancing our collaboration, communication and engagement. From that substrate grew such activities as: establishing our telecommuting and anti-bullying policies, the cross-campus teamwork propelling the Racial Justice Advisory Committee and efforts addressing various needs within vice-presidential divisions. The President's Cabinet developed its Principles of Community among its other engagement survey-inspired actions.

    We also pledged in 2019 to regularly survey faculty and staff. Our commitment to doing so comes even amid an unprecedented period of challenge for employees and organizations impacted by a global health crisis, a steep recession and continued labor market upheaval. We also know that while morale isn't where any of us wants it to be, we will not waver in our efforts to advance change and improve our workplace culture. This survey is part of supporting those endeavors.

    The 2022 survey’s initial results are now in hand from our vendor, ModernThink, with the full results due to us in coming weeks. Thank you to those who took the survey, which had a response rate of 52%. These initial results report on the “Top 10” and “Bottom 10” responses of faculty and staff springing from the 60-plus prompts the survey featured, such as "The work I do is meaningful to me," and "There's a sense that we're all on the same team at this University." You can find results on the Employee Engagement Survey menu item on the Office of the President website.

    Next steps
    As the initial results reveal, we have positive sentiments and there are other areas where we have considerable work to do. As we demonstrated in 2019, we will translate survey results into concrete actions. Collaboration, communication and engagement will guide these efforts. For example, the Employee Engagement Survey Action Team of faculty and staff formed to launch the survey will collaborate with the President's Cabinet on the response. The team has generously agreed to work over the summer to analyze the full report when it's available and identify themes. At employee forums this fall, we will determine the actions to arise from the themes identified.

    But you don’t have to wait until then to provide feedback on how to improve our culture. You can submit your thoughts and ideas through a form on the Employee Engagement Survey webpage. You also can share ideas with me and cabinet members in formal and informal settings.

    As we work to advance change, let us move forward with positive intent and a bias for action. By working together, I am confident we will be successful in strengthening our community in service to providing our students with the high-quality educational experience they deserve.

    Sincerely,

    Edward Montgomery
    President

  • Feb. 21, 2022, Take the WMYou Employee Engagement Survey
    Video of 679992241

     

    Dear colleagues,

    As we work together to provide our students with a high-quality educational experience, it's also critical to foster an environment in which all employees are supported, engaged and respected for their work. To improve in those efforts, we need your perspective on how we can advance our workplace culture. Your voice matters.

    This is why we are once again conducting the WMYou Employee Engagement Survey. It continues the effort we began in 2019 with the first WMYou survey and delivers on a promise that leadership made to establish a regular cadence of surveys every few years. With that promise comes a commitment to listen to the results and to take action based on what was shared.

    The 2022 Employee Engagement Survey will remain open through the close of business on Monday, March 7. Later today, you will receive an email invitation to participate in the online survey from ModernThink, the independent company that will be collecting responses. Participation is confidential and responses will be recorded anonymously. Learn more about the survey

    In 2019, the President’s Cabinet took on the task of reviewing and reporting the results. With this survey, results will be reviewed by a cross-campus group of individuals from many units and employee groups. This team of faculty and staff will share the findings with senior leadership and contribute to our understanding of ways for addressing the needs that are raised.   

    Thank you for your investment in advancing Western Michigan University. Join me in taking the survey—we need and look forward to your feedback.

    Sincerely,

    Edward Montgomery
    President

Employee Engagement Survey Action Team

Bob Brady, senior human resources consultant, Human Resources

Cyntia Dawson, executive assistant, Haworth College of Business

Katie DeCamp, associate director, Valley Dining Center

Dr. Lisa Dechano-Cook, professor, Department of Geography, Environment and Tourism, Faculty Senate

Dr. Vun Doubblestein, associate director, Multicultural Affairs for Students

Brandi Engel, director of marketing and communications, College of Fine Arts

Thomas Fisher, doctoral student, president, TAU

Erin Flynn, news and communications specialist, Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications

Nick Griffith, manager of cash management and investments, Office of Business and Finance

LuMarie Guth, business librarian and associate professor, AAUP

Amber Hutson, administrative assistant II, Department of Psychology, vice president, PSSO

Jasmine LaBine, part-time instructor, School of Communication, president, PIO

Brianna McCann, program manager, Office for Sustainability

William McQuitty, institutional research analyst, Institutional Research, president, APA

Bryan Sutton, environmental control person, Facilities Management, president, AFSCME

Dr. Kahler Schuemann, chief of staff and secretary to the Board of Trustees

Courtney Arnold, executive assistant senior to the chief of staff and secretary to the Board of Trustees

Chris Voss, senior associate director of business operations, University Recreation