Every higher education institution is unique. A research university with thousands of faculty, adjuncts, and staff has different needs than a small liberal arts college. Even within the same campus, faculty, administrative staff, and student-facing employees experience challenges that are specific to their roles.
Yet many colleges and universities still rely on standardized, one-size-fits-all engagement surveys. While these tools provide some insights, they often fail to capture the nuances that matter most. This results in data that may look comprehensive on the surface but does not translate into meaningful action.
That’s why apc’s Employee Experience Grade (exg™) was designed to offer customizable engagement surveys. Instead of forcing institutions into generic frameworks, exg™ allows leaders to tailor surveys to reflect their culture, workforce, and strategic goals.
The Limitations of Standardized Surveys
Generic survey programs often fall short in higher education because:
- They ignore role differences: Faculty, adjuncts, and staff have distinct needs that can’t be captured by the same survey items.
- They lack context: Surveys built for corporate environments don’t always align with the mission-driven culture of colleges and universities.
- They restrict customization: Many platforms limit the ability to add questions or modify language, leaving institutions with incomplete data.
- They provide limited insights: Results may identify dissatisfaction but rarely uncover the underlying drivers of disengagement.
For example, a standardized survey might indicate that staff feel overwhelmed, but it won’t reveal whether the problem stems from seasonal workload spikes, technology issues, or communication breakdowns.
Why Higher Education Needs Customization
Faculty Engagement
Faculty roles involve balancing teaching, research, and service responsibilities. A generic survey cannot fully address challenges such as tenure expectations, research funding, or departmental governance.
Adjunct Integration
Adjunct faculty often face unique issues related to recognition, inclusion, and workload fairness. Without tailored questions, their voices are easily overlooked.
Staff Support
Administrative and student-facing staff are often the first to experience burnout. Customized surveys can highlight operational stressors and resource needs specific to their roles.
Diversity and Inclusion
Higher education institutions frequently emphasize equity and inclusion. Customizable surveys allow leaders to add questions that reflect institutional priorities around diversity and belonging.
The Power of apc’s exg™ Customizable Surveys
apc’s Employee Experience Grade (exg™) sets itself apart by combining a proven engagement index with flexibility.
Key Features
- Tailored Questions: Institutions can add or adapt survey items to address their specific workforce mix and goals.
- Adaptability Across the Lifecycle: From hiring to exit surveys, customization ensures that data is relevant at every stage.
- Benchmarking with Context: While surveys are customizable, results can still be benchmarked against peer institutions.
- Actionable Data: Customization ensures that results are precise and actionable, not generic.
Case Example: Customization in Action
A regional community college struggled with high turnover among adjunct faculty. Standard surveys revealed broad dissatisfaction but didn’t clarify the source. After adopting apc’s exg™ with customizable modules, leadership discovered that adjuncts felt excluded from departmental communication and lacked professional development opportunities.
With this insight, the college developed an adjunct inclusion initiative, offering workshops and ensuring adjunct representation in faculty meetings. Within a year, adjunct engagement scores rose sharply, and turnover decreased by 12%.
Benefits of Customizable Engagement Surveys
- Accuracy: Institutions gather data that reflects their unique challenges and opportunities.
- Flexibility: Leaders can adapt surveys as the institution evolves.
- Trust: Employees are more likely to participate when they see surveys address their specific realities.
- Impact: Customized data leads to targeted solutions with measurable results.
Best Practices for Customizing Surveys
- Engage Stakeholders: Involve faculty, staff, and HR in designing surveys to ensure broad relevance.
- Balance Standardization with Flexibility: Retain core engagement measures while customizing around institutional priorities.
- Focus on Actionability: Customize questions with the goal of generating clear, practical insights.
- Review Regularly: Update survey content as institutional priorities change.
- Communicate Outcomes: Show employees how their customized feedback informs change.
Why Customization Matters More Now
Higher education is facing unprecedented challenges—budget pressures, rising turnover, and shifting employee expectations. Generic tools can’t capture the complexity of these issues. Customizable engagement surveys powered by apc’s exg™ ensure that leaders get the insights they need to create environments where faculty and staff feel supported, valued, and motivated.
Final Thoughts
One-size-fits-all surveys may provide surface-level data, but they cannot reveal the deeper insights higher education leaders need to improve retention, morale, and culture.
With apc’s Employee Engagement Surveys powered by exg™, colleges and universities gain the ability to customize surveys for their unique needs—ensuring actionable insights and stronger outcomes.
Don’t settle for generic survey results. Get started with apc’s customizable exg™ Engagement Surveys today.
