Higher Ed Employee Engagement Surveys – Boston, MA
Retaining great faculty and staff is one of the most important challenges facing colleges and universities today. When engagement drops—even slightly—you feel it across the entire institution: student experience, culture, academic performance, operational efficiency, and the long-term health of your campus community.
That’s why Boston-area institutions rely on apc to design and administer custom higher education employee engagement surveys that go far beyond generic HR questionnaires. Our goal isn’t just to measure sentiment. Our goal is to help you understand the why behind faculty and staff behavior, and to provide a clear roadmap for improving culture, retention, and performance.
As a national leader in Employee Engagement Surveys and higher ed research, we bring 25+ years of experience supporting colleges, universities, and academic organizations across the U.S.
A Survey Built for the Realities of Higher Education
Higher ed requires a different engagement approach. Structures are complex. Roles vary dramatically. Departments operate like unique ecosystems. That’s why our surveys are not one-size-fits-all—they’re designed exclusively for:
- Faculty (tenured, tenure-track, adjunct, and lecturers)
- Academic leadership (deans, department chairs)
- Administrative staff
- Student services teams
- IT, facilities, and operational units
- Hybrid and remote staff
Each survey is tuned to the rhythms, concerns, and pressures of higher education. We address themes like academic workload, burnout, leadership support, communication, DEI, culture, innovation, and student interaction.
And because everything is powered by our broader Survey Research practice, you get data that’s statistically sound, academically credible, and institutionally actionable.
What Your Institution Receives
Custom Survey Instrument
Designed for your faculty and staff populations with question sets tailored to higher ed environments.
Anonymous Data Collection
We use strict third-party protocols to support participation, transparency, and trust.
Campus-wide Dashboards & Reporting
Executive dashboards help leadership see high-level trends, while department dashboards reveal actionable local insights.
Faculty & Staff Segmentation
Compare results across academic and non-academic roles, campuses, departments, and tenure types.
Insights + Action Plan
We conduct virtual or in-person action planning workshops to help your leadership team prioritize next steps.
Optional Add-Ons
- Focus groups
- Pulse surveys
- On-campus interviews
- DEI climate surveys
- User Experience Testing
Why Boston Institutions Choose apc
Greater Boston is home to some of the most respected higher education institutions in the world. We understand the competitive environment, the pressure for excellence, and the need for employee insights that translate into measurable improvement.
Institutions work with apc because:
- We have decades of experience in higher ed engagement research.
- Our surveys encourage meaningful participation—even from hard-to-reach groups.
- We deliver clear, honest insights (not vague summaries).
- We provide benchmarks and comparative analysis where available.
- We make engagement improvement easier with communication kits and action templates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are your surveys anonymous?
Can you benchmark us against similar institutions?
How long does the process take?
Take the Next Step
Your faculty and staff are the backbone of your institution. When they thrive, your students thrive.
Explore Our Approach: Employee Engagement Surveys
Learn About Our Research Capabilities: Survey Research
Hear From Organizations Like Yours: Client Testimonials
Start a Conversation: Contact apc
Service Area: Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Metro Boston, and all New England institutions.