Standpoint Survey
StandPoint Surveys is a collaborative partnership between the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and U.S. medical schools around the country focusing on measuring and enhancing medical school faculty engagement. Formerly known as the “Faculty Forward” survey, 70 medical schools have participated with over 50,000 respondents.
Upstate faculty were surveyed in May-June 2019 and results were provided in September. We have begun to analyze and share the data, as well to address some of the identified challenges.
“Engaged employees are cognitively and emotionally invested in the mission and activities of your organization.” —AAMC
The StandPoint Faculty Engagement Survey assesses 15 dimensions of U.S. medical school faculty engagement—defined as the emotional and cognitive attitudes that faculty members have toward their workplace experiences (i.e., often referred to as “job satisfaction”) and behavioral outcomes such as contribution and effort.
Dimension Names and Descriptions
| Nature of Work | Number of hours worked; time spent on mission areas; role clarity and organizational commitment |
| Focus on Medical School Mission | Mission clarity and alignment; commitment to mission-based excellence |
| Workplace Culture | Whether the workplace culture cultivates diversity, wellness, and other ideals |
|
Department Governance |
Opportunities for faculty participation in decision-making; communication from the department chair; transparency of department finances |
| Medical School Governance | Opportunities for faculty participation in governance; communication from the dean’s office; transparency of medical school finances |
| Relationship with Supervisor | Supervisor’s support of individual goals; good communication |
| Mentoring and Feedback | Quality of mentoring and feedback on career performance |
| Opportunities for Career and Professional Growth | Opportunities for professional development and advancement |
| Promotion and Tenure Requirements | Whether promotion criteria are clear and reasonable across all mission areas |
| Promotion Equality | Application of promotion criteria; equal opportunities regardless of sex, race, and sexual orientation |
| Collegiality and Collaboration | Opportunities to collaborate with other faculty; personal "fit" (i.e. sense of belonging); interactions with colleagues; intellectual vitality within the division and medical school; appreciation by colleagues |
| Compensation and Benefits | Evaluation of overall compensation; health and retirement benefits |
| Faculty Recruitment and Retention | Success in hiring and retaining high-quality faculty |
Standpoint Initiative Timeline
| May 7-June 28, 2019 Survey |
Sept. 2019 Reports Released |
Oct. 11, 2019 Phone call with AAMC |
Nov. 5, 2019 Report to Dean's executive committee |
Jan. 2020 Data published and shared |