As a follow-up to Bjorn's comment about scoring happiness in an academic department, several universities have recently begun to do just that, albeit in a more formal context. My institution recently contracted for a survey of faculty satisfaction. The survey measured about 20 "dimensions" related to satisfaction, compared departments within the university and with peer institutions, and provided the basis for discussions about how to improve overall satisfaction in the future. I suspect that the expense for such an institution-wide study like this is considerable. Less formally and expensively, our department has conducted anonymous surveys of both graduate students and faculty to assess satisfaction with mentoring, and to highlight attributes valued in mentors. Response rates of 70-80% in the departmental survey indicated strong interest in the topic among all groups.
Rob Swihart Professor and Head Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-2061 PH: 765-494-3590
