Survey reveals strong job satisfaction among Mizzou faculty

March 19, 2026
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University of Missouri faculty members expressed strong satisfaction with their workplace in a new survey, giving especially high marks to departmental climate and collegiality, leadership at multiple levels and the nature of academic work.

The survey was conducted with Harvard University's Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) in spring 2025. Faculty ratings rose in 24 out of 25 areas measured since the survey was last conducted in 2022. In evaluating Mizzou's results, COACHE identified 13 areas of strength and no areas of concern.

A faculty COACHE committee that includes members from each MU school and college reviewed the survey's data. Across benchmarks related to collegiality, engagement and departmental quality, Mizzou ranks first or second among its peers on most measures, the committee found. Faculty respondents also expressed higher satisfaction about the university and their own department as a place to work than respondents at peer institutions reported.

Areas of opportunity identified by the committee include clarity in the tenure process, recruitment and retention and workload pressures.

"We are making great strides as an AAU and land grant institution," University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. "We are grateful to the faculty and staff for their central role in our success. We will continue to seek input from faculty and staff to further strengthen our university."

Thirty-seven percent of Mizzou faculty members responded to the survey, slightly below the average participation rate for all universities of 40 percent. The committee report says the group will study new engagement techniques to improve future response rates.

The COACHE committee plans to create individual reports for each school and college based on survey data, and it will schedule stakeholder meetings to gather suggestions to address areas of growth moving forward.

"We are thrilled that our faculty find a culture of support, productivity and excellence at Mizzou," said Matthew Martens, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. "Using this data and ongoing conversations with faculty, we will continue to build on improvements that support their success."

After the 2022 survey was released, the university made several improvements. Among them: better communication between leadership and faculty, increased involvement of faculty in policy decisions and strengthened support for faculty in career progression.

The University of Missouri is one of the nation's leading research institutions and serves as the flagship of the University of Missouri System. The university is the 4th best value among all the nation's flagships, according to U.S. News and World Report data, and 13th among U.S. flagships in Time Magazine's list of the world's top universities. Mizzou is also the No. 1 online university in the nation according to Niche, a leading college search platform.

The COACHE committee's report can be found on the Provost's website.