What is COACHE?

The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) is a research-practice partnership based in the Harvard Graduate School of Education. COACHE studies the work lives of faculty with a focus on actionable data to support academic administrators. Studies are conducted in partnership with college and university leaders (both faculty and administrative) with an emphasis on using the data collected to improve the academic workplace.

In line with recommendations from the Commission for the Next Generation of Faculty, Georgia State is using the COACHE survey and improvement process to address multiple indicators of faculty satisfaction to improve recruitment, retention and engagement. This especially includes efforts to improve these factors for underrepresented minority (URM) faculty.

The survey covers the following standard questions, plus a custom set of questions asked for Georgia State's survey:

Standard

• Nature of Work
• Resources and Support
• Cross-Silo Work and Mentorship
• Tenure and Promotion
• Institutional Leadership
• Shared Governance
• The Department
• Appreciation and Recognition
• Retention and Negotiation

Custom for Georgia State

• Overall satisfaction
• Experience of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Mentorship
• Consolidation
• Service requirements

This effort is a multi-year improvement process, and you can learn more about the timeline here.

Where are the results?

A results summary is available here. Faculty have access to full quantitative data through iCollege.

How Are We Taking Action?

There is both a university-level action plan to address the findings and needs identified by the survey. Colleges, schools and institutes were also directed to create action plans at their own unit level, addressing the unique needs of each unit. You can learn more about the university level plan here. Our plan is below.

What is Our Plan?

Goal 1: Create a climate in which all faculty and staff in the college are included and respected, and feel that they can be productive and meet their professional aspirations.

• Action Item 1.1 Ensure equitable policy and process.
• Action Item 1.2 Create equitable service policies and recognition.
• Action Item 1.3 Develop equitable student mentoring policies and recognition.
• Action Item 1.4 Elevate and communicate broadly the activities of the Equity, Engagement, and Mentoring Working Group, the Center for Studies on Africa and its Diaspora, research and academic programs focused on social transformation, and other college DEI efforts; create a diversity speaker series to bring distinguished guests and college faculty together to address research and programs on topics of interest to a diverse faculty.
• Action Item 1.5 Work with the university to analyze and address salary compression and inversion.

Goal 2: Increase the percent of faculty who are from URM groups.

• Action Item 2.1 Use best practices in faculty search processes.
• Action Item 2.2 Expect diverse candidate pools.
• Action Item 2.3 Develop innovative hiring plans.

Goal 3: Retain URM faculty

• Action Item 3.1 Develop faculty mentoring programs.
• Action Item 3.2 Develop communication plan for DEI efforts.
• Action Item 3.3 Support leadership development

Goal 4: Recognize and elevate the standing of non-tenure track faculty.

• Action Item 4.1 Assign a task force to examine ways to support the professional and career development of non-tenure track faculty, understanding that the job expectations and allocation of effort for NTT faculty vary across teaching, academic support, service, research. Include study of resources needed.
• Action Item 4.2 Create awards that recognize excellence in non-tenure track faculty.

More details about our college action plan are available through the link below.

Will we receive updates about the college's action plan progress?

Yes. The Office of the Provost has requested that units update their faculty through their unit-level websites. You will find updates, progress reports, and other relevant information through this website and other communications channels for our college in the future.

University-level updates are available at the COACHE at Georgia State website.

The University Plan and Additional Information

Get more information about COACHE at Georgia State, including a summary of results, timeline, presentations, university-level updates, and the university plan below, along with a helpful link to the Office of Faculty Affairs.