COACHE Survey of Faculty Job Satisfaction

Since 2007, Virginia Tech has partnered with the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, to survey faculty on their perceptions of the university, the workplace, the community, and their jobs. The survey results allow university stakeholders to identify strengths as well as implement improvements that make Virginia Tech a more satisfying place for faculty to work.

• February 2026: COACHE faculty satisfaction survey launches
• February–April 2026: COACHE dashboard updates weekly with unit participation rates
• April 2026: COACHE survey closes
• Fall 2026: Office of Faculty Affairs receives and processes COACHE data
• Fall 2026: COACHE results are shared

Why COACHE Matters

Data from COACHE surveys drives institutional change. Past survey results have informed the development, enhancement, or modification of a wide range of programs and policies, including:  

• changes to the university’s system of shared governance;
• dependent care travel grants; 
• COVID tenure clock extensions; 
• modified duties policies; 
• support for dual career hiring; 
• mentoring programs (ex. new faculty mentoring, mentoring forum); and 
• enhanced work-life policy support.

As results from the 2026 survey become available, the Office of Faculty Affairs will share findings with the university community in a town hall–style meeting and will share the COACHE results on this website. Faculty Affairs will also work with college and department leaders and other campus partners to discuss the results and offer help implementing improvements suggested by COACHE data.

What COACHE Studies

The COACHE survey gauges how faculty feel about their experience at Virginia Tech. Job satisfaction is measured by looking at a number of factors, including: 

• Nature of work
• Facilities and work resources
• Compensation, benefits, and work-life policies
• Tenure and promotion policies and expectations
• Culture and quality of life
• Colleagues
• Leadership
• Governance
• Departmental and institutional climate and quality
• Appreciation and recognition

Examples of COACHE questions may include:

• My institution does what it can to make personal/family obligations (e.g. childcare or eldercare) and an academic career compatible. [level of agreement/disagreement]
• How equitably committee assignments are distributed across faculty in your department. [level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with]
• My institution provides adequate support for faculty to be good mentors. [level of agreement/disagreement]
• My department has a culture where associate professors are encouraged to work towards promotion to full professorship. [level of agreement/disagreement]
• The steps taken by my institution-wide faculty governing body to ensure faculty are included in that body's decision making [level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with]
• My institution cultivates new leaders among faculty. [frequency/how often is this experienced?]

Who Gets Surveyed

The COACHE survey is intended to go to the following Virginia Tech faculty:

• Full-time, tenured and tenure-track faculty assistant professors, associate professors, and professors
• Full-time, continued appointment and continued appointment-track faculty in the University Libraries
• Full-time, non-tenure-track faculty, including:
  • assistant professors of practice, associate professors of practice, and professors of practice
  • collegiate assistant, collegiate associate professors, and collegiate professors
  • instructors, advanced instructors, and senior instructors
  • clinical assistant professors, clinical associate professors, and clinical professors
  • clinical instructors, clinical advanced instructors, and clinical senior instructors
  • full-time faculty in the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine who are employed by Virginia Tech
  • research faculty in academic units
• The survey does not go to:
  • faculty that have not yet been employed for a full calendar year at time of survey
  • senior administrators, e.g., dean, associate and assistant deans, assistant and associate vice provosts (department heads, chairs, and school directors are included)

Note: In 2007 and 2009, only pre-tenure faculty were surveyed. In 2012 all instructional and research faculty were surveyed. From 2017 onward, all instructional faculty were surveyed.

News

• Faculty programs, partnerships continue to emerge from participation in COACHE survey (VT)
• Three colleges launch new travel grant to pay for dependent care expenses (VT)
• Writing retreat teaches faculty how to get writing done (VT)
• ‘Illusion of Inclusion’(Inside Higher Ed)

Questions or concerns

Please email Rachel Gabriele, associate vice provost for faculty affairs.