CAUT Stress Survey

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. We anticipate the results will assist us in negotiating our renewal collective agreements.

Please be assured that your participation and the data you provide will remain confidential. The researchers will not be able to match your identity with the data you provide. In fact, the researchers will have no way of knowing who responded. Further, only aggregate results will be published in any reports arising from this research.

To begin with, we would like to ask you about various aspects of your job. Please respond to each question using the specified scale:

Your Job

1.1.

Control

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
I have the authority to make decisions about content and methods in the courses I teach.
I have the authority to make decisions about what courses I teach.
I have the authority to make decisions about other (non-instructional) aspects of my job.

1.2.

Skill Use

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
My job allows me to develop new skills.
My job allows me to use my skills and abilities.
I've had to acquire new skills to keep up with my job.
My job requires the use of many skills.
My job allows me to learn new things.

1.3.

Work Load

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
I have too much work to do.
I am frequently behind in my work.
There is never enough time to finish all of my work.
I have to work very quickly to finish all of my tasks.
It is hard for me to keep up with the work load.

1.4.

Work Scheduling

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
I work in the evenings or on weekends.
I often have to work extra hours without advance notice.
Planning my private life is difficult because of my work schedule.
My work schedule changes frequently.

1.5.

Role Conflict

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
I am often asked to do more than one task at the same time.
To do my job well I have to do different things for different people at the same time.
Administrators and coworkers expect different things of me.
It is difficult to balance conflicting demands at work.

1.6.

Role Ambiguity/Clarity

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
I am usually given clear directions.
I usually know what is expected of me at work.
I know the performance standards for my job.
I know what to expect from my supervisors.

1.7.

Routinization

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
There is very little variety in the tasks that I do.
Nothing ever changes in my job.
Sometimes it seems as though I could do my job "in my sleep".
There is never anything new in my job.

1.8.

Recognition

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
There is not enough recognition for good work here.
Nobody in authority appreciates my work.
I usually hear if I've done a good job.
Chairs/administrators don't often notice good work.

1.9.

Life Balance

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
After work, I come home too tired to do some of the things I'd like to do.
On the job I have so much work to do that it takes away from my personal interests.
My family/friends dislike how often I am preoccupied with my work while I am at home.
My work takes up time that I'd like to spend with family/friends.
My job or career interferes with my responsibilities at home, such as yard work, cooking, cleaning, repairs, shopping, paying the bills, or child care.
My job or career keeps me from spending the amount of time I would like to spend with my family.

1.10.

Administration

Please respond to the next questions using the following scale:

1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Moderately Disagree
4 = Neutral or don't know
5 = Moderately Agree
6 = Agree
7 = Strongly Agree
8 = Not applicable

When making decisions, administrators at your institute/facility.....

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
collect accurate information necessary for making decisions.
provide opportunities to appeal or challenge the decisions.
have all sides affected by the decision represented.
generate standards so that decisions could be made with consistency.
hear the concerns of all those affected by the decision.
provide useful feedback regarding the decision and its implementation.
allow for requests for clarification or additional information about the decision.

1.11.

Chair Support

Please respond to the next questions using the following scale:

1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Moderately Disagree
4 = Neutral or don't know
5 = Moderately Agree
6 = Agree
7 = Strongly Agree
8 = Not applicable

If you approached your chairperson (or the administrator to whom you report) with a concern or request for help, in general she/he would...

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
consider your viewpoint.
be able to suppress personal biases.
provide you with prompt feedback about any decision and its implications.
treat you with kindness and consideration.
show concern for your rights as an employee.
deal with you in a truthful manner.
treat your concern or request confidentially.

1.12.

Work Reward

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
considering the responsibilities I have.
in view of the amount of experience I have.
for the amount of effort I put forth.
for the work I have done well.
for the stresses and strains of my job.

Your Work Environment

Sometimes people experience rudeness and aggression in the workplace. How often has this happened to you? Place an X in the appropriate space to indicate the frequency over the past twelve months that (a) administrators, (b) co-workers, and/or (c) students made you the subject of the following behaviours:

Chair, Dean or Other Administrator

CoWorkers (Faculty, Librarians, & Staff)

Students

0 times

1-3 times

4-6 times

7-9 times

10 + times

0 times

1-3 times

4-6 times

7-9 times

10 + times

0 times

1-3 times

4-6 times

7-9 times

10 + times

a mean prank or practical joke

a rumour or lie spread about you at work

verbal abuse (sworn at, yelled at, subjected to negative comments, false accusations)

the silent treatment

negative or obscene gestures

being interrupted while you were speaking/working

threats of physical violence

a) physical assault b) psychological assault

a refusal for needed resources or equipment

public embarrassment

rude, or disrespectful treatment

being prevented from expressing yourself

having your work judged or criticized unfairly

having your sense of judgment questioned

having your opinions dismissed

having them take their anger out on you

being told you're incompetent

being lied to

drawing you into unwanted discussion of personal matters

having them take credit for your ideas

2.2.

During the past 12 months, I have been subject to discrimination at my current institution on the basis of (Check all that apply)

	age
	gender
	race
	ethnicity
	disability
	sexual orientation
	religion
	language
	political belief
	other (specify)

2.3.

Please answer the following questions about issues of academic freedom using the following scale.

1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Moderately Disagree
4 = Neutral or Don't Know
5 = Moderately Agree
6 = Agree
7 = Strongly Agree
8 = Not applicable

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
I have freedom of thought and expression in my work-place.
I am able to teach unhindered, including use of materials, in a way that I think best.
I am free to openly criticize theories in my teaching.
I am free to pursue research issues that are of interest to me.
My teaching has been subject to unfair and biased criticism from my peers.
My research has been subject to unfair and biased criticism from my peers.
The atmosphere in my institution is conducive to free expression of ideas.
I am free to state my institutional affiliation when expressing my views on any topic outside of my institution.

2.4.

In the next set of questions, we want to know if your work setting has affected your health or that of other people you know.

Please rate your agreement or disagreement with the following items by using the following scale:
1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Moderately Disagree
4 = Neutral or Don't Know
5 = Moderately Agree
6 = Agree
7 = Strongly Agree
8 = Not applicable

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
My health has been affected by the building in which I work.
People working in the same building as I do have experienced work related illness.
I believe my long-term health may be adversely affected by working in this building.
The health and safety problems at this institution are serious.
Health and safety issues are a priority at this institution.
I am kept informed about health and safety issues that affect me.

2.5.

The following statements are about the physical environment in which you work.

Please respond using the following scale:
1 = Not at all
2 = Rarely
3 = Once in awhile
4 = Some of the time
5 = Fairly often
6 = Often
7 = All of the time

At work I am exposed to:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
high levels of noise
extreme temperatures
an erratic work schedule
personal isolation
hazardous materials (e.g., biological/infectious agents, poisons, radiation, dangerous chemicals)
risk of physical injury
excessive vibration
poorly designed workspaces
poor lighting
risk of eye strain
unsafe equipment

2.6.

Do you know who your academic/union staff representative is on your Joint Health and Safety Committee?

Yes	No

Your Work Activities - Teaching, Research and Service

For the following questions, please do not include individualized instruction, such as independent study or individual one-on-one performance classes. If you taught multiple sections of the same course, count them as separate classes, but do not include the lab section of the course as a separate class.

3.1.

How many courses do you teach in a full academic year; i.e. two semesters? If you teach on a three semester or term rotation, please answer with respect to the two semesters or terms in which you do most of your teaching. (Please check one).

	I have no assigned teaching duties (If you checked this box, skip to 3.4)
	Less than the equivalent of one semester course
	The equivalent of one semester course
	The equivalent of two semester courses
	The equivalent of three semester courses
	The equivalent of four semester courses
	More than the equivalent of four semester courses

3.2.

What is the average number of students in each of your

Graduate classes:
Undergraduate classes:
Classes:

3.3.

On average, how many teaching assistants, markers, demonstrators, etc. assist you in:

Graduate classes:
Undergraduate classes:
Classes:
Not applicable:

3.4.

Part A and B

A. Please think about the time that you have devoted to the tasks listed below during a typical academic term or semester. In Column A, please indicate the percentage of time you actually spend in the categories listed. The categories are not mutually exclusive (e.g., research may include teaching; preparing a course may be part of professional growth). However, we ask that you estimate the number of hours spent in activities whose primary focus falls in the designated categories. The total for each column should be 100%.

B. In Column B, please indicate the percentage of time you would like to spend on the categories listed during a typical academic term or semester.

	Actual Percentage A	Preferred Percentage B
Teaching Related Activities (e.g., time in class; grading papers; preparing courses; developing new curricula; advising or supervising students or interns).
Research/Scholarship (e.g., gathering and analyzing data; grants administration; preparing articles, books and/or presentations at professional meetings or conferences; seeking outside funding; giving performances or exhibitions in the fine or applied arts).
Professional Growth/Professional Development (e.g., taking courses; attending but not presenting at conferences; pursuing an advanced degree; pursuing other activities to remain current in your field).
Administration a) departmental and faculty work b) institutional-wide meetings or committee work c) work for your faculty association/union.
Paid Professional Service (e.g., consulting, providing legal or medical services or psychological counseling to clients or patients).
Unpaid Professional or Public Service related to your professional expertise (e.g., service to professional/disciplinary associations, journal manuscript reviews, proposal reviews, time donated to clinics, boards, pro bono work, free concerts, art exhibits, performances).
Total

3.5.

At Work...

Please check one.

	Less than 40	40 to 50	51 to 60	61 to 70	More than 70
How many hours per week, on average, do you spend on the activities detailed in questions from Section 3.4 at your workplace?
How many hours per week, on average, would you prefer to spend on the above activities, at your workplace?

3.6.

At Home...

Please check one.

	Less than 5	5 to 10	11 to 15	16 to 20	21 to 25	26 to 30	More than 30
How many hours per week, on average, do you spend on the activities detailed in questions from Section 3.4 at your home?
How many hours per week, on average, would you prefer to spend on the above activities at your home?

3.7.

The next set of questions deal with expectations about your scholarship.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
I know how many scholarly papers/works my institution expects me to produce each year.
I know what is (was) expected of me in terms of scholarly work/publication in order to receive tenure.
I have been able to publish or present my scholarly work in the outlets of the quality that my institution expects.
I am able to meet the level of scholarly productivity expected of faculty members at my institution.
I have the time to produce as much scholarly work as expected.
I feel confident about my record of scholarship.

3.8.

The following items deal with funding your scholarly activities.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
I have been able to secure external funding for scholarship or professional activities.
The university expects me to obtain external funding for my scholarship or professional activities.
I feel confident that I will be able to secure funding for my scholarship in the future.
I have been able to secure funding from funding agencies of the quality my institution expects.
I have the time necessary to prepare funding applications.
I feel confident about my funding record.

3.9.

The following items deal with reviews of your performance.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Too many stakeholder groups (e.g., students, peer reviewers, administrators) have the opportunity to formally evaluate my performance.
The performance reviews I experience in my work are meaningful.
My privacy is maintained during performance review procedures.
Reviews of my performance are sufficiently comprehensive.
I experience too many performance reviews for my work.

Satisfaction with Your Job/Career

How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the following aspects of your job at your academic institution?

Please respond using the following scale:

1 = Very Dissatisfied
2 = Somewhat Dissatisfied
3 = Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied
4 = Somewhat Satisfied
5 = Very Satisfied
6 = Not Applicable

1 2 3 4 5 6

My work load

My job security

Opportunity for advancement in rank at this institution

The effectiveness of faculty leadership at this institution (e.g. academic senate, faculty councils, etc.)

My salary

My benefits, generally

Spouse or partner employment opportunities in this geographic area

My job here, overall

The following questions ask you about how you feel about your institution.
Please respond to the next questions using the following scale:
1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Moderately Disagree
4 = Neutral or don't know
5 = Moderately Agree
6 = Agree
7 = Strongly Agree
8 = Not applicable

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

I would be very happy to spend the rest of my career at this institution.

I enjoy discussing my institution with people outside of it.

I really feel as if this institution's problems are my own.

I think that I could easily become as attached to another institution as I am to this one.

I do not feel like "part of the family" at this institution.

I do not feel emotionally attached to this institution.

This institution has a great deal of personal meaning to me.

I do not feel a strong sense of belonging to this institution.

The next questions ask you about the likelihood of your continuing your employment at your current institution.
Please use the following scale in responding to these items
1= Very Unlikely
2= Unlikely
3= Somewhat Unlikely
4= Neutral or Don't know
5= Somewhat Likely
6= Likely
7= Very Likely
8 = Not applicable

During the next three years, how likely is it that you will leave your current job to: ______

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Accept a part-time job at a different postsecondary institution?

Accept a full-time job at a different postsecondary institution?

Accept a part-time job not at a postsecondary institution?

Accept a full-time job not at a postsecondary institution?

Retire from the labour force?

I would like to retire before age 65 if financially feasible.

If the university offered me an early retirement package I would take it.

I have little interest in retiring early.

4.4. Mandatory retirement has been abolished in BC and Ontario. What do you plan to do?

(Check the appropriate response)

I would continue to work full-time as an academic after age of 65.

I would continue to work part-time as an academic after age 65.

I would continue to work as an academic past age 65 even if I received no compensation for that work.

I would seek employment outside of a university or college setting.

I would retire at age 65 or earlier and not seek other employment.

4.5. At which age do you think you are most likely to retire from all paid employment?

(Write in age or "DK. Don't Know".)

4.6. There are times when things happen and we have to be absent from work. Please think about the amount of time you have had to take off work in the past 12 months, without considering vacation time or statutory holidays, how many unpaid days have you had to take off work in the last six months?

(Please choose one)

0 days 1 day

2 days 3 days

4 days 5 days

6 days 7 days

8 days 9 days

10 days 11 days

12 days 13 days

14 days 15 days

16 days 17 days

18 days 19 days

20 or more days

4.7. How many vacation days have you taken during the past twelve months?

4.8. Do you have another paid job outside your academic staff position?

Yes No

4.9. If yes, please indicate the number of hours each week you work at this outside position:

I work at my other position approximately ___ hours/week.

Your Health

Now we would like to ask about how you have been feeling over the past twelve months.
Please respond using the scale given below.
1 = Not at all
2= Rarely
3 = Once in a while
4 = Some of the time
5 = Fairly often
6 = Often
7 = All of the time
8 = Not applicable

5.1. During the last twelve months have you:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

had difficulty getting to sleep at night?

woken up during the night?

experienced headaches?

gotten a headache when there was a lot of pressure on you to get things done?

suffered from a gastrointestinal upset?

had minor colds (that made you feel uncomfortable but didn't keep you sick in bed or make you miss work)?

had respiratory infections more severe than minor colds that "laid you low" (such as bronchitis, sinusitis, etc.)?

increased your use of alcohol?

been able to concentrate on whatever you're doing?

lost much sleep from worry?

felt you were playing a useful part in things?

felt capable about making decisions about things?

felt under strain?

felt that you couldn't overcome your difficulties?

been able to enjoy normal day-to-day activities?

been able to face up to your problems?

been feeling unhappy and/or depressed?

been losing confidence in yourself?

been thinking of yourself as a worthless person?

been feeling happy, all things considered?

5.2. Please use the scale given below to indicate how often you have felt each of the following during the last 12 months.

1 = Not at all
2 = Rarely
3 = Once in awhile
4 = Some of the time
5 = Fairly often
6 = Often
7 = All of the time

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

cheerful?

enthusiastic?

lively?

joyful?

energetic?

in good spirits?

5.3. For the next set of questions please use the following scale to indicate the frequency of the activity by placing the corresponding number next to the item.

0 Times
1 Time
2 Times
3 Times
4 Times
5 Times
6 Times
7 Times or more

In the last twelve months...

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

How often did you take medication to help you sleep?

How often did you take medication for stress-related illness?

How often have you seen any type of health care practitioner?

Some Questions About Yourself

Finally, this last set of questions is for descriptive purposes only. Please note that we will not attempt to identify you on the basis of the information you provide. Summary statistics will be reported as aggregate data only. If you do not feel comfortable answering a question, please leave it blank and go on to the next item.

6.1. Gender:

Male Female

6.2. Current Age:

20 - 29

30 - 39

40 - 49

50 - 59

60 - 65

65+

6.3. How many dependents (includes elder care) do you have?

6.4. On average, how many hours per day do you spend in caring for dependents?

6.5. On average, how many hours per day do you spend performing household labour that does not involve dependents?

6.6. What is your first language?

English

French

Other

6.7. Is your first language the language in which you work at your institution?

Yes No

6.8. Rank

Instructor Lecturer

Assistant Associate

Full Professor Librarian I

Librarian II Librarian III

Librarian IV Counsellors

Other (Please specify)

6.9. Employment Status

Regular / Continuing

Non-Regular

Term

Probationary

6.10. If you are on a contract, what is the length of your term appointment?

One or more courses

One academic term

One year

More than one academic year (Please specify the length of your contract)

6.11. If you are on a contract, how long have you worked, overall, on contract at your current institution?

6.12. Highest Degree Earned

Doctorate

All-but-dissertation (ABD)

Masters

Other (Please specify)

6.13. What is your primary faculty or college of teaching?

Agriculture and Life Sciences

Humanities and Related Disciplines

Commerce/Management/Business

Mathematics and Physical Sciences

Education

Engineering and Applied Sciences

Fine and Applied Arts

Health Professions and Occupations

Law

Library

Social Sciences and Related Disciplines

Trades career/Apprenticeship

ESL

Upgrading/College Prep

IT

Other (Please specify)

6.14. Are you a member of a union (or other bargaining association) that is the recognized representative of academic staff at this institution?

Union/bargaining association is not available

Union/bargaining association is available, but I am not eligible

I am eligible, but not a member

I am eligible, and a member

6.15. Name of your Institution

6.16. How many years have you worked at your current institution as an academic staff member?

6.17. How many years, in total, have you worked at an academic institution as an academic staff member?

6.18. Province in which your institution is located

6.19. Comments

Please comment on any aspect of this survey or provide other information that you feel is important.

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6.19.	Comments
	Please comment on any aspect of this survey or provide other information that you feel is important.