College Conversation

COLLEGE CONVERSATION: KEY FINDINGS

The College leadership team appreciates all of the faculty and staff who were able to attend the College Conversation. Your input and ideas are vital to building a stronger, more connected future for the College community. We structured the College Conversation around the Jayhawks Rising framework and asked for feedback on the topics of Student Success, Healthy & Vibrant Communities, and Research & Discovery. Here's an overview of what you told us:

Student Success

We asked:

1. What are the biggest barriers to student retention and how could we address those?
2. What are ways the College as a whole could increase engagement with our students to help them succeed?

We heard:

1. The primary barriers revolve around student isolation, ongoing adjustment to centralized advising, and cost of attending.
2. Two main themes emerged. One avenue is department-focused by increasing student engagement with the major, being more strategic with class size, utilizing best practices for first-year students. The second avenue is to consider what can be done to centrally to decrease bureaucracy, provide additional opportunities for social engagement for College students, and refine data needed to intervene when students are most vulnerable. 

Research & Discovery

We asked:

1. Considering our recent research initiatives, what else would be helpful in fostering research for faculty at all career stages?

We heard:

1. Research growth should focus around four key areas: improvement of research facilities, better service to research from KUCR, SSC, and Concur, support for faculty by providing time for research, and more opportunities for students to participate in research. 

Healthy & Vibrant Communities

We asked:

1. Of the things within the College's control, how can we best support faculty and staff to ensure a healthy working environment?
2. Are there things the College is doing well that we should continue or expand?
3. What could the College do better?

We heard:

1. Faculty and staff desire a workplace where trust is built through transparency and open communication. It is important to acknowledge the difference in career progression for faculty and staff; both groups appreciate professional development opportunities and clear paths for promotion. A healthy and vibrant workplace supports work/life balance, proper compensation, and access to healthy food and habits. 
2. It is generally agreed that there is good leadership in place (dean, associate deans, chairs, and staff) to help the College tackle challenges and build trust. The new initiatives coming from the Dean's Office are on the right track, and we should continue to do more. What we do with the information we are gathering here will be important to share back. 
3. Improve transparency, particularly around budget and hiring. Be stronger advocates for better salaries and facilities and against the press of mandates from outside the College. 

Since the College Conversation, we've been working on ways to incorporate your input into the College's strategic alignment plan and other ongoing initiatives for faculty, staff, and students. Hopefully you'll be able to join us at the 2025 State of the College to learn more.