Nearly 4,000 University of Oregon faculty, staff, officers of administration and graduate employees participated in the 2026 employee engagement survey, offering feedback on their workplace experiences.
UO’s overall engagement score placed in the 45th percentile among peer institutions, a result that encompasses both meaningful strengths and clear opportunities for growth.
“[This survey] confirms what many of us already sense,” President Karl Scholz and Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Mark Schmelz wrote in a message to employees. “We have strengths and we have real work to do.”
Strong relationships and commitment to quality
Two themes emerged as clear strengths in responses. Employees reported especially strong agreement with two statements:
- “My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.”
- “My colleagues are committed to doing quality work.”
UO ranked in the 90th percentile or higher among peer institutions for both measures.
According to university leaders, those findings point to a strong foundation of collegiality, care and shared commitment across campus.
“People care about one another, and we take pride in the caliber of our work,” Scholz and Schmelz wrote. “That combination is the foundation from which we can have conversations about where we want to improve.”
Opportunities for improvement
The survey also highlighted areas where employees reported lower levels of engagement. Responses to two statements ranked in the bottom third among peer institutions:
- “At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.”
- “I know what is expected of me at work.”
Scholz and Schmelz said the results highlight the importance of clear expectations, balanced priorities and ensuring employees can effectively use their strengths.
“When expectations are murky, roles don’t fit the people in them, or assignments aren’t balanced and prioritized, individual fulfillment suffers and so does what we accomplish together,” they wrote. “The good news is our strengths give us a solid place to start.”
What happens next
The institutional survey results reflect an average of thousands of different experiences across campus. The most meaningful conversations and changes will happen at the unit level. Over the coming months, departments and teams will review unit-level survey results and participate in conversations to identify a manageable number of concrete, achievable actions to improve the workplace experience.
University leadership will examine institution-wide barriers to engagement and report back on findings and changes.
The survey and the engagement initiative are one part of a broader effort connected to the university’s goal of creating a flourishing community, as outlined in our strategic plan, Oregon Rising.
University-level engagement survey results are available on the Ducks Engage webpage. For unit-level results, reach out to your supervisor or department head.