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Your Voice Matters

WHAT IS BETTER U

Better U is the University of Utah's annual faculty and staff engagement survey. It provides a structured way for employees to share their experiences and helps leaders understand what is working well, where challenges exist, and where opportunities for improvement are emerging.

Better U measures employee engagement, belonging, well-being, and burnout, along with the workplace factors that influence these outcomes. More importantly, Better U is designed to turn employee feedback into meaningful action.

Better U supports improvement at multiple levels of the university. Some opportunities can be addressed within a local team, while others require collaboration across a college or university-wide action. By understanding where issues exist and who is best positioned to address them, Better U helps ensure improvements occur at the appropriate level.

Access the Better U Toolkit for leaders

Better U Summary Results

@ the U Article

WHY IT MATTERS

Creating Honest Conversation

Better U creates a shared language for discussing the employee experience. By encouraging honest conversations about workplace strengths and challenges, Better U helps leaders and teams identify meaningful opportunities for improvement. Together, employee feedback and local action planning strengthen engagement, belonging, occupational well-being, and organizational culture across the university.

Survey Timeline

Horizontal timeline. Use left and right arrow keys to scroll through items.

Survey Open

1

Survey Open

September - October

Results Shared

2

Results Shared

November

Insight Reviews Completed

3

Insight Reviews Completed

November - December

Action Planning

4

Action Planning

January Onward

Measure Again

5

Measure Again

Main Campus survey themes and Academic Affairs actions from 2025 survey

What we heard
What we are doing
Increased transparency for faculty and staff 
  • Launched Academic Leaders Monthly newsletter
  • Revamped Provost Perspectives for broader communication to all faculty
  • Increasing visibility of Better U results and actions
  • Improving Academic Enterprise Planning clarity and tools
Need for clearer roles and career pathways 
  • Advancing HR & Finance Coordinated Services project
  • Clarifying academic advising roles
  • Supporting clearer career structures for staff and faculty
Continued focus on student success
  • Launched the Student Experience Project
  • Enhancing advising, communication, services, and scholarship process
  • Aligning efforts to improve student outcomes
Salary structure and compensation
  • Conducting faculty compensation analysis
  • Advancing HR's U Career for staff clarity and growth pathways

SUCCESS STORIES

Conversations That Create Change

Better U has been used on the U of U Health campus since 2023. It unifies the separate feedback surveys for Health Academics and Hospitals and Clinics into one tool, helping us better understand the strengths and challenges of different groups and provide stronger support. We look forward to expanding to the main campus this year. The survey represents a concerted effort to listen, sort, empower, and improve. Listening begins with the survey. Then, we sort out what we can address and empower our teams to take the next steps.

At U of U Health, projects inspired by Better U have already addressed a wide range of concerns, including belonging, childcare, recognition and appreciation, administrative burden, and communication.

Finding Fulfillment in Our Work, One Improvement at a Time
It's imperative that we find ways to streamline our systems, bolster our culture, and support our people.
Learn More
Employee Feedback Is Driving Conversations and Improvement
The survey is helping us understand what our teams need to find joy in their work.
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Better U Survey: Making Sure Every Employee Is Heard
When we understand what matters to them, we can make this a truly exceptional place to work.
Learn More

CONTACT US

Better U is created in partnership with the following offices: Offices of Faculty, Human Resources, Chief Wellness Office/Resiliency Center, Marketing and Communication, UAIR and mission leaders.

Have questions or comments about Better U? Reach out to us below:

main campus employees
health academics, hospitals, and clinics