Survey: Outreach is major part of faculty life

A high percentage of university faculty participate in outreach activities and believe their efforts improve their teaching and research, according to a recently released survey.

Survey findings at a glance About half of those surveyed say they “strongly agree” that UW–Madison should use its knowledge to address societal issues, that the Wisconsin Idea is an important part of UW–Madison’s tradition and that faculty in a public university have an obligation to engage in outreach. Outreach activities most often mentioned by faculty who responded to the Outreach Development Office survey include: Giving speeches, presentations or demonstrations to community groups, 72 percent Serving on advisory boards, 51 percent Writing for the general public, 48 percent Conducting research with public or private organizations, 43 percent. Faculty report working with the following types of groups: Nonprofit community organizations, civic groups and hobby clubs, 44 percent Local, state and federal governments, 40 percent Media, 36 percent Business, 37 percent K-12 students and teachers, 24 percent Ethnic and racial minorities, 17 percent Economically disadvantaged people, 15 percent Physically and mentally challenged people, 8 percent.

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The survey, conducted by the Wisconsin Survey Research Laboratory, finds that 87 percent of responding faculty participate in outreach, defined as “sharing the university’s knowledge with external constituents and addressing societal issues with community partners.”

Of those 87 percent, 66 percent say t he outreach work improved the quality of their research and 72 percent say it improved their teaching.

The survey, commissioned by the Outreach Development Office in the Provost’s Office and the Wisconsin Food System Partnership, was funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. A total of 888, or 74 percent of 1,200 faculty who received the survey, responded.

Ken Shapiro, director of the Wisconsin Food System Partnership and associate dean, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, says he believes the survey is important for many reasons, but especially for the message that faculty are responsive and committed to serving the communities that surround them.

“Too often the stereotype of faculty in a major research university has been of the isolated researcher, when in reality many are very involved in outreach,” Shapiro notes.

Outreach accounts for 15 percent of the work time of those responding. While most respondents are satisfied with the amount of time they spend on outreach, 24 percent say they wish they could spend more time. Thirty-nine percent of faculty say they want outreach to be more important in promotion and salary reviews; only 15 percent “strongly agree” that UW–Madison values outreach.

More women and minority faculty than men or majority faculty report that they conduct their outreach activities among groups who are ethnically or racially diverse, low income or in nonprofit organizations.

The survey suggests several directions for expanding faculty outreach, including providing assistance in obtaining grants, raising private funds for outreach, documenting and publicizing the importance of outreach in faculty life, strengthening the consideration of outreach activities in the review processes for promotion and salary, and having university leaders use the “bully pulpit” to clarify the priority that the university places on outreach.

Peg Geisler, director of Outreach Development, says 88 percent of survey respondents receive no Extension funding in their university appointments. The high level of outreach activity occurring without such formal support indicates that outreach activities have become integrated into the fabric of the total faculty appointment on the UW–Madison campus. Geisler describes that finding as “both unexpected and laudatory.”