UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- As of Nov. 4, all Penn State students, faculty and staff have received an email from the third-party Ethics Resource Center (ERC) asking for their participation in the Penn State Values & Culture Survey. About 6,000 people have completed the survey to date. Regis Becker, director of University Ethics and Compliance, said continued strong participation is needed to make the survey results as representative as possible. (For more information about the survey, visit the FAQ.)
The confidential survey will take less than 20 minutes to complete and is designed to help University leaders gain a fuller understanding of the priorities and collective values of the people who learn and work at Penn State every day. Beginning on Nov. 5 and continuing throughout the week, those who have yet to take the survey will receive a reminder from the ERC. Becker encouraged every member of the campus community to provide their input.
“The results of this survey will help Penn State to grow and improve as a University and as a community,” Becker said. “If you already have taken the survey, thank you for participating in this important undertaking – if you have not yet, please take advantage of the opportunity to share your confidential feedback.”
The survey is being conducted by the ERC, an independent, nonprofit organization and recognized leader in the field of organizational survey work. The ERC will conduct the survey in a manner that protects the identities of all participants; responses will be aggregated and only summary data will be provided back to Penn State so that no individual within any unit can be identified.
Individuals who experience technical difficulties as they are taking the survey should contact the ERC by sending an email to ethicssurvey@ethics.org or by calling 800-777-1285. The help desk phone line is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Results will be used to develop an inclusive statement of shared values for the university community; it also will contribute to a more concise understanding of the values of students, faculty and staff, which in turn will help University leaders to improve ethics and compliance programs.
The ERC will deliver an executive summary of the findings in spring 2014, and Becker said the document will be published at that time.