Tenured and Tenure-Line Faculty Exit Feedback

Exit Interview Questions for Departing Faculty Members

Click the links below to download the Word file.

• Exit Interview Questions for Faculty Who Are Retiring
• Exit Interview Questions for Faculty Who Are Denied Tenure or Advised Out
• Exit Interview Questions for Faculty Who Are Leaving for Another Position or Reason

The Process

Each college and campus designates one faculty member as an Exit Interview Officer (EIO). The EIO might be a current faculty member, one who retired within the past two years, or an ombudsperson. The EIO is not a human resources representative or someone who reports directly to the dean/chancellor. Diversity is an important consideration when selecting an EIO.

All departing faculty members – whether they are leaving as a result of other job offers or opportunities, denial of tenure, or retirement – are invited to be interviewed and complete a survey. The human resources (HR) representative or director of business services (DBS) for the unit forwards the names of departing faculty members to the appropriate EIO. The EIO contacts the faculty member to encourage them to participate in the survey – and, for tenure-line/tenured faculty members, an exit interview. The EIO is encouraged to stay in contact with the HR representative or DBS for his or her unit.

At the departing faculty member’s or a college or campus official’s request, the exit interview can be conducted by an administrator in the Office of the Provost, in addition to or in place of an interview with the college/campus EIO. The Senior Vice Provost is the contact person in the Provost’s Office. Exit interviews for faculty from underrepresented groups can also include an interview with a Senior Faculty Mentor (SFM). Senior Faculty Mentors are not part of the Office of Faculty Affairs. The role of SFMs are distinct to protect the interests of minoritized or otherwise vulnerable faculty.

The interview process is confidential, but responses will be shared with the Provost and, with the faculty member’s permission, with the appropriate dean or chancellor. EIOs should download a copy of the interview questions (see above) appropriate to the reason the faculty member is departing. The interview notes are passed on to the Senior Vice Provost and to the relevant dean or chancellor (unless the EIO has been asked not to share information with the dean or chancellor). Interviewees may choose whether or not they want their names identified when these responses are shared.

Staff in the Office of Planning. Assessment, and Institutional Research summarize the interview and survey responses and report them biennially in aggregate in order to ensure the confidentiality of individual responses. Although demographic information is an important part of the analyses, in cases where individuals might be identifiable due to the demographic coding, breakdowns that reveal those figures are not disseminated. The goal is to understand faculty concerns so that the University can be more responsive to them. You may view faculty exit reports here.

For More Information

For more information about this process, please contact the Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research.