While faculty at Western Kentucky University seem quite pleased with their retirement and health care benefits, many are dissatisfied with pay and morale, according to a new survey.

The Faculty Welfare and Professional Responsibilities Committee of the university’s Senate recently released the findings of their WKU Faculty Welfare Survey.

Viewable at www.wku.edu/dept/

org/fs/surveysummary.html, the survey was taken by about 370 faculty members to determine their satisfaction rating in areas of benefits, working conditions, support services, job satisfaction and even the performance of WKU President Gary Ransdell and Provost Barbara Burch.

The responses to statements ranged from strongly agree to strongly disagree and phrased satisfaction questions from “my teaching load is reasonable,” to “relative to my years of service and rank my salary is satisfactory.”

An overwhelming number (84 percent) of faculty members responded that they were extremely satisfied or satisfied with their health care, and 63.2 percent with retirement options. Yet 66.2 percent said they disagree or strongly disagree with the sense of general faculty morale. Even more, 66.8 percent disagree that their salary is satisfactory relative to their experience.

Ransdell was reached for comment but was out of town and had not seen the survey, he said. Burch is out of the country, officials said. Faculty regent Patricia Minter could not be reached for comment.

Robbin Taylor, vice president of public affairs at WKU, said the poll - which was taken just prior to the announcement of faculty’s one-time, $500 to $1,000 bonuses this year - is indicative of the uncertainty and stress that come during tough economic times faced everywhere right now.

She said because of two years of significant cuts to state funding, some of the already vacant faculty positions were eliminated. And while there was no one in those positions, a stress is created when other faculty see the possibility of elimination.

“It all creates an environment of uncertainty,” she said.

The faculty also voiced concerns about departmental governance in the survey. Nearly 65 percent said faculty do not have a strong influence on the selection of academic administrators, and 41 percent said they feel they cannot express dissenting views on university governance “without fear of intimidation or reprisal.”

In the same section of the survey, more than half said they trust the leadership of their college’s dean and department head.

In regards to Ransdell’s performance, nearly 60 percent agree that he articulates a clear vision for the future of the university, while nearly 70 percent said they don’t think he works to provide adequate pay raises for faculty.

Anthony Harkins, associate professor of history at WKU, said he thinks the faculty satisfaction with the health care shows the university’s willingness to meet the needs of faculty, yet thinks the other areas reflect a need for faculty to be heard.

“I think a lot of the dissent is the perception that faculty concerns are not getting a great deal of care,” he said. “... administrators (should) recognize that faculty are what make the university the university.”

Taylor said Ransdell has planned a six-month “Listening Tour” in that effort.

She said the president is in the process of scheduling meetings with all of the departments and faculty to discuss their input on the strategic plan, which was developed in 2007 to continue through 2010. The plan, “Challenging the Spirit,” originally called for increasing faculty salary and academic quality, but after state appropriation cuts and small increases in tuition, the salary increases never came to fruition.

The tour also will include discussions on the new provost search to determine who faculty would like to see in that position as well as where the university is going in terms of its research mission, Taylor said.

“I think in the works for this coming academic year is a real effort from administrators to look internally, and reflect on what we have planned and how the rest of the plans will work to better meet the economic climate we are finding ourselves in and to be better about listening and communicating,” she said.