Addressing Faculty Needs Amidst the Pandemic: Insights from UNC Charlotte Spring 2021 Focus Groups

UNC Charlotte conducted focus groups with pre-tenure faculty members in Spring 2021 to understand their challenges during the pandemic. Participants expressed feelings of institutional abandonment, low morale, and compounded stressors like personal health concerns and family caregiving. Communication issues and the need for concrete support were highlighted, emphasizing the importance of valuing faculty contributions and addressing their needs promptly.

• Faculty Needs
• Pandemic Response
• UNC Charlotte
• Focus Groups
• Communication

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1. FACULTY FOCUS GROUPS: PANDEMIC RESPONSE FOR FACULTY SUCCESS UNC Charlotte Spring 2021

2. In the Spring 2021 Semester, the UNC Charlotte ADVANCE Faculty Affairs & Diversity Office conducted focus groups of pre-tenure faculty members to gauge their needs in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Overview Participants were drawn from all colleges.

3. Participants consistently expressed a sense of Institutional Abandonment. The focus on student success did not translate into feelings of faculty appreciation or concern, and a sense of being disconnected from administration. Themes: Morale is very low. Several participants expressed feeling like a cog in the wheel and questioned their future at UNC Charlotte. Participants also expressed that the pandemic will likely have a ripple effect on their research, taking multiple years to recover. How will RPT requirements be adjusted??? Yet, participants expressed concerns over a perceived emphasis to Do everything like before while feeling trapped with a lack of resources.

4. Participants experienced compounded stressors : Personal Health Concerns Childcare Priorities Family Caregiving Concerns Death of Family Members Racial Tensions in America Breakdown in Communication with Department Themes: compounded stressors These compounded stressors created a sense of fighting an invisible war to balance scholarship, teaching, personal responsibilities, and hardships. Participants expressed a need for the administration to concerted effort to connect faculty to resources (e.g., mental health resources)

5. Its important to recognize that Zoom does not necessarily mean convenient and easy conversations, which has fostered perceptions of isolation. University priorities were perceived (R1, Gen Ed redesign, logo redesign, etc.) were viewed as ill-timed and poorly communicated at this time, which creates extra pressure. Themes: Communication This in turn has created a perception that We keep putting on Band-Aids without addressing larger issues. Participants suggested that messaging should be after consulting with faculty and staff and include concrete steps, utilizing less punitive language.

6. The communication model that emerged after the events of April 30, 2019 was viewed as an exemplar of good communication. Participants expressed needing to hear We value you, We want you here, and You are critical to our mission. Themes: Communication (Continued) These messages should come from all levels of administration, from department chairs to Chancellor. Participants suggested that these messages should include concrete steps that are taken as expeditiously as possible rather than putting off change, which could be interpreted as just talk.

7. Participants expressed challenges as minority in the department : As the only BIPOC faculty in the department, it creates pressures to be successful. Gender and cultural viewpoint may color how this is perceived: complaining vs. just do your best or keep your head down. Themes: Pressure Participants expressed that they Don t want to complain or be perceived as complaining. *** The department has taken a chance on you, so even if you break your leg, you just limp and keep going. ***

8. RECENTLY HEARING MORE FROM CHAIRS AND FACULTY ABOUT FALL REMOTE VS IN PERSON AND MESSAGING A BIG CONCERN RPT ? Questions?