Higher education faculty members' perceptions and experiences at work significantly impact their engagement and wellbeing. Faculty wellbeing and engagement are associated with student retention and success. While substantial research has explored school-level differences on student outcomes, investigations into faculty perceptions and experiences are limited. This study fills this gap by analyzing the effects of campus social and work environments on faculty outcomes. This project examines the influence of campus social environments (i.e., campus climate and identification/belonging) and work environments (i.e., leadership, team morale, and professional development) on faculty outcomes at five regional campuses within a large southeastern university system. Utilizing cross-sectional, quantitative research, we administered an online questionnaire to faculty members (n = 275), assessing campus social and work environments alongside faculty outcomes. Data collection occurred during faculty organization meetings at each campus in Spring of 2023. The questionnaire, adapted from the Australian School Climate and School Identification Measurement Tool (ASCSIMT) for faculty. Data analysis includes Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). Individual-level factors reflect the constructs described above and campus-level factors relate to student success scores. Student success scores publicly available data released by the commission of higher education in the state where the campuses are located. This data will allow for the examination of how faculty perceptions about the social and work environment impact student success at each campus.

Authors:
Kathleen Klik, University of South Carolina Union, United States
Emily Schafer, University of South Carolina Union, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Kathleen A. Klik is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of South Carolina Union.

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