The Administrative Professional (AP) Survey is Grand Valley State University's annual survey of Administrative Professionals. It is designed to better understand the workplace experiences of AP employees and provide data that can inform meaningful improvements across the university.
The survey is one of the AP Committee's primary tools for understanding the experiences, perspectives, and priorities of Administrative Professionals. The committee uses anonymous feedback from the survey to identify strengths, recognize emerging challenges, and develop recommendations that support the AP community.
The survey results help the AP Executive Committee establish its priorities for the coming year, inform recommendations to university leadership, and guide future initiatives, programming, and advocacy efforts. Findings are shared with the university community in a summative report that presents results in aggregate to protect participants' confidentiality.
Why is this survey being redesigned now?
Previous versions of this survey provided valuable feedback but did not measure many aspects of the Administrative Professional experience in sufficient depth. As workplace research and survey methodology have advanced, it became clear that the instrument needed to be updated to provide more reliable, meaningful, and actionable results.
The redesigned survey was built from the ground up using established research methods and validated measures. It expands the assessment of workplace climate, supervision, collegial relationships, inclusion, and experiences with workplace incivility and harassment. It also includes new questions that help the AP Committee better understand how effectively it is communicating with and representing Administrative Professionals. Together, these improvements will provide a more complete picture of the AP experience and better inform future decisions and initiatives. Results will be shared broadly with the AP community, the AP Executive Committee, and university leadership to guide priorities going forward.
Is this tied to a broader initiative (compensation equity, job architecture, HR modernization)?
The AP Survey is not part of any broader initiative at GVSU beyond the advocacy efforts of the AP Committee. The themes and trends derived from the survey responses will have no direct impact on or connection to any broader initiative like compensation equity, job architecture, or HR modernization as it is managed independently from the offices therein; however, the summative report will influence the AP Committee's priorities for the year and be essential grounding for any recommendations made by the AP Committee to decision-makers (i.e. SLT).
|
Name |
Unit |
Subcommittee/Role |
|---|---|---|
|
Cassonya Carter |
CHP/KCON |
AP Executive Committee |
|
Christopher Cirefice |
AA - BCOIS, CLAS |
AP Salary and Benefits Subcommittee |
|
Susan Mendoza (Co-PI) |
Academic Affairs Student Support Units |
Social Justice Subcommittee & AP Executive Committee |
|
Evan Potter |
Central Admin |
AP Professional Development Subcommittee |
|
Melanie Rabine-Johnson |
CECI/CoC/PCE |
AP Executive Committee |
|
Amanda Rainey |
Enrollment Development and College Futures |
AP Awards Subcommittee |
The AP Survey Redesign Taskforce met during the 2025–2026 academic year to explore the needs of a redesigned AP survey and the availability of predesigned surveys and national benchmarking surveys. Ultimately, the taskforce decided to engage Ben Walsh in conversation to redesign the AP survey for Fall 2026.
Benjamin Walsh is a Professor of Management at Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business. Trained in industrial/organizational and occupational health psychology, he studies work stress, employee well-being, incivility, and sexual harassment. His work has appeared in peer-reviewed outlets including Journal of Management and Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, where he serves as an Associate Editor. He has contributed to and led applied research projects with organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.
Dr. Walsh redesigned the AP survey in collaboration with the AP Survey Redesign Taskforce and serves as Principal Investigator (PI). Dr. Susan Mendoza serves as co-PI.
The Survey Redesign Taskforce incorporated the following characteristics of trustworthiness into their thinking:
- Anonymity: Anonymous participation and all data are voluntarily given; forgoing traditional demographic information in favor of anonymity.
- Communication: Clear communication from the start (new webpage, email blasts, informed consent, etc.).
- Education: The AP Professional Development Committee will host a session with Benjamin Walsh who will speak to the survey's design and answer questions.
- Accountability: Development of an accountability structure (summative report, AP communication of priorities, feedback loop design, etc.).
- Neutrality: No direct involvement of any Senior Leadership or Human Resources professionals; led by a faculty researcher with professional scientific interest.
What does administrative professional mean at GVSU?
The Executive, Administrative, and Professional Staff is defined as staff appointed to non-teaching positions although some EAP staff may have regular teaching assignments as a portion of their regular workload. Most EAP staff are exempt from federal and state overtime provisions (BOT 4.4.0).
Does this include supervisors, directors, or only individual contributors?
The survey is sent to anyone categorized as an administrative professional (AP) by the university. At Grand Valley, there are different types of employees: Faculty; AP Staff; Union/Hourly Staff.
Is part-time, temporary, or grant-funded AP staff included?
Yes, the survey will be shared with everyone the university has classified as Administrative Professional (AP). This will include permanent, temporary, full-time, and part-time AP staff.
Does this affect staff in other job categories?
This survey is intended to document the experiences of Administrative Professionals (AP) at GVSU. It is only shared with folks who fall into that employee category; therefore, it will not be administered to faculty or individuals on union contracts or hourly pay contracts.
The survey is an assessment of workplace attitudes, experiences, perceptions, climate, supervision, collegial relationships, inclusion, and experiences with workplace incivility and harassment. It also includes questions that help the AP Committee better understand how effectively it is communicating with and representing Administrative Professionals.
Response options depend on the specific questions, but many are asked in a way for you to respond on a strongly agree/strongly disagree scale; they are all voluntary, you can opt out of answering at any time, and there are opportunities for you to clarify your answers with qualitative responses (in your own words). Your role as the survey respondent is to answer based on the last year of your perception and recollection.
How long does it take?
The survey includes 136 items and takes 15-20 minutes to complete, although the exact amount of time will depend on your input into the survey.
Is it one-time or recurring?
While this 2026 iteration is a pilot, testing efficacy and best-practices moving forward, the intent is for this survey to run annually (deployment in the Spring/Summer, review end of summer, action throughout the following Fall and Winter semesters).
- September 8: Survey goes live; all AP staff receive an email invitation.
- September 8: Presentation to the AP Community about the survey and survey process.
- September 14, 21, 28: Reminder emails sent.
- September 30: Final reminder in the morning; survey closes at 11:59 PM.
- Late October–mid-November: Summative report prepared and shared with the GVSU community, including a presentation and Q&A opportunity.
Who can see individual responses?
The lead researcher, Benjamin Walsh, will be able to see all individual responses because all data will be retained indefinitely on the GVSU OneDrive of Benjamin Walsh following the completion of the data collection. Susan Mendoza, as co-investigator on the research protocol, will also be able to see all individual responses. Because the survey is anonymous, no one (including Benjamin Walsh and Susan Mendoza) will know who provides or does not provide data. The summative report will include aggregate quantitative data from survey respondents (e.g., averages, percentage of participants in agreement/disagreement). General themes from open-ended text responses will be included, but no individual text responses will be shared in the summative report.
Is participation anonymous?
Participation is anonymous; you will not be asked, and nor should you enter your name or email address into the survey. In addition, IP addresses are not tracked in the survey.
What happens after someone submits their responses?
After your responses are submitted, they are stored on a Qualtrics server within the United States of America, accessible via Benjamin Walsh's Qualtrics account as the lead researcher who created the survey.
How is the data stored, and for how long?
Once data collection is complete, data will be downloaded to Benjamin Walsh's GVSU OneDrive where they will be stored indefinitely. This will allow the data to be analyzed for the creation of the summative report, and to be used in current and future research projects. The data will be deleted from the Qualtrics server after they are downloaded and stored on Benjamin Walsh's GVSU OneDrive.
Open Science Framework data-sharing:
Upon completion of the data collection, anonymous quantitative data will be shared via the Open Science Framework (OSF) to allow other researchers to replicate research findings, and to allow the anonymous data to be used in future research projects. To protect participant anonymity, the following data and variables will be deleted prior to sharing data via open science repositories: all open-ended text responses, the division in which you work, salary, whether your position is regular or adjunct, whether you are a supervisor, and whether you are an appointing officer. Anyone will be able to view the data once uploaded to OSF.
Will data be shared with HR, supervisors, or outside consultants?
Only aggregate results — averages, agreement percentages, and thematic summaries of open-ended responses — will be shared with the GVSU community.
A summative report will be prepared and shared with the GVSU community. The summative report will include aggregate quantitative data from survey respondents (e.g., averages, percentage of participants in agreement/disagreement). General themes from open-ended text responses will be included, but no individual text responses will be shared. Significant differences across divisions on quantitative data will be examined. To protect participant anonymity, data for a division will be reported only when there are at least 10 participants in a division (division response options include: Administrative, Academic Affairs, Enrollment Development and College Futures, Finance and Administration, Information Technology, Institutional Advancement, Office of the General Counsel, Omni at GVSU, People, Equity, and Culture, Public Affairs and Communications, and Student Affairs).
The aggregate results become the evidence base the AP Committee uses to advocate for AP staff on things like career advancement pathways, flexible work arrangements, professional development, and communication, which are the same priorities respondents are asked to rank within the survey itself.
These results will be compiled into one summative report that will A) be presented to the Senior Leadership Team and B) be published on our AP Committee website. Furthermore, the summative report will be referenced as needed when AP Executive or the Subcommittees publish memos that advocate for AP wellbeing.
You received this survey because you are an Administrative Professional (AP) at Grand Valley State University. The survey gathers feedback from AP employees across the university to understand workplace experiences, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and inform future decisions that support the AP community.
Every AP employee's perspective matters and broad participation helps ensure the results accurately reflect experiences across divisions and departments. Whether your experience has been positive, challenging, or somewhere in between, your feedback is valuable.
This survey is specifically designed to understand the workplace experiences of Administrative Professionals at Grand Valley State University. Unlike surveys that focus on a single topic or initiative, this survey examines multiple aspects of the AP experience, including workplace climate, communication, supervision, professional growth, and organizational culture.
The survey was developed using established research methods and validated measurement approaches, with guidance from faculty expertise in occupational health psychology and input from Administrative Professionals across the university. The results will provide a comprehensive understanding of the AP experience and help identify opportunities to strengthen the workplace over time.
This year's survey differs from previous versions in both its design and its administration.
The 2026 survey has been redesigned using established research methods and validated measures to provide more reliable and meaningful information about the experiences of Administrative Professionals. It is also being conducted as a formal research study conducted by Professor Ben Walsh and therefore reviewed by GVSU's Institutional Review Board (IRB), the university's standard process for ensuring research involving human participants meets ethical and methodological standards.
The process for managing survey data has also been strengthened. The survey is configured not to collect identifying information such as names, email addresses, or IP addresses. Results shared with the university will be reported only in aggregate, and additional safeguards are used to protect anonymity, including suppressing division-level reporting when fewer than 10 participants respond from a division. Open-ended responses will be summarized by theme rather than shared individually.
The AP Executive Committee will use the survey results to shape its priorities for the coming year. Findings will help the committee identify where AP employees are thriving and where additional support, advocacy, or resources are needed, ensuring the committee's work reflects the actual experiences and needs of the AP community it represents.
A task force convened by the AP Committee, with representation across university units and committees, collaborated on the redesign alongside Benjamin Walsh, Professor of Management in the GVSU Seidman College of Business. Professor Walsh's research specializes in occupational health psychology.
Benjamin Walsh is a Professor of Management at Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business. Trained in industrial/organizational and occupational health psychology, he studies work stress, employee well-being, incivility, and sexual harassment. His work has appeared in peer-reviewed outlets including Journal of Management and Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, where he serves as an Associate Editor. He has contributed to and led applied research projects with organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.
The task force, convened by the AP Committee, included representation across units and committees:
i. Cassonya Carter, CHP/KCON (AP Executive Committee)
ii. Christopher Cirefice, AA - BCOIS, CLAS (AP Salary and Benefits Subcommittee)
iii. Susan Mendoza (Co-PI), Academic Affairs Student Support Units (Social Justice Subcommittee & AP Executive Committee)
iv. Evan Potter, Central Admin (AP Professional Development Subcommittee)
v. Melanie Rabine-Johnson, CECI/CoC/PCE (AP Executive Committee)
vi. Amanda Rainey, Enrollment Development and College Futures (AP Awards Subcommittee)
vii. Benjamin Walsh (PI), Faculty Researcher
The AP Survey Redesign Taskforce was assembled by the AP Executive Committee Chair and Vicechair in the 2025-2026 academic year; the members of the taskforce were asked based on interest and expertise as well as to ensure a wide-spread representation across AP employee groups. The members of the taskforce are volunteers and are members of AP Committee, serving on the Executive Committee, Social Justice Subcommittee, Awards Subcommittee, Salary and Benefits Subcommittee, and Professional Development Subcommittee.
People, Equity, and Culture (PEC) were not involved in the survey design efforts. They were pulled in, however, for the purpose of acquiring the email list of AP employees at GVSU; this allowed the co-investigators the ability to send the survey electronically. Because the email list is in its own file, and the survey never asks you to enter your email address (and you should not do so), it is impossible to link your email address to your survey responses.
The survey was designed (drafted, negotiated, and finalized) and will be implemented by members of the AP Survey Redesign Taskforce alone. The AP Executive Committee, in AY 2025-2026, voted for complete independence of the taskforce; therefore, all design decisions were made independent of any other leadership or committee influence.
Yes. The AP Survey has been through an Institutional Review Board review.
While the AP Survey Redesign Taskforce was assembled for the purpose of creating a new survey, the group recognizes the pilot-nature of this 2026 iteration. The task force will meet again after deployment to discuss the need for revisions or to approve annual installation.
APs are encouraged to provide feedback on the survey itself. If you wish to provide feedback separate from your own survey responses, please consider any of the following:
i. Reach out to Benjamin Walsh, the lead researcher, at [email protected].
ii. Reach out to your AP committee representative. They have a responsibility to advocate for your needs/ideas in the committee arena.
iii. Reach out to members of the AP Survey Redesign Taskforce.
iv. Submit your questions/ideas via the CMS Feedback Form on the available on the AP Committee website (not anonymous).
The 2026 survey opens September 8, 2026 and closes September 30, 2026.
A summative report is expected to be prepared and shared with the GVSU community, including a presentation and Q&A opportunity, likely sometime in mid-November.
Responses to the survey will be used only for the creation of the summative report and for research.
No. Participation is voluntary, and you can skip any questions that you do not want to answer. However, survey results help the AP Executive Committee establish its priorities for the coming year, inform recommendations to university leadership, and guide future initiatives, programming, and advocacy efforts. Your participation is essential to ensure a robust data set that represents a broad range of AP staff experiences.
If someone does not submit any responses within the deadline, the survey summative report will not directly include their experience; however, folks can still contribute thoughts/ideas/questions throughout the year between survey iterations by communicating with one's AP representative.
Individual AP staff members are invited to fill out the survey independent of the influence of supervisors or peers.
The 2026 AP survey can be submitted online via Qualtrics. You will receive an email at your GVSU email address from [email protected] with a link to the survey, as well as several reminders.
APs are encouraged to provide feedback on the survey itself. If you wish to provide feedback separate from your own survey responses, please consider any of the following:
i. Reach out to your AP committee representative. They have a responsibility to advocate for your needs/ideas in the committee arena.
ii. Reach out to members of the AP Survey Redesign Taskforce
iii. Submit your questions/ideas via the CMS Feedback Form available on the AP Committee website (not anonymous).
iv. You can also submit any questions or concerns to the lead researcher, Benjamin Walsh, at [email protected].
There is no official deadline for filing a concern. If you wish to provide feedback on the pilot survey, we ask that you submit or share your thoughts by December 15, 2026.
If you wish to get clarity or information before submitting responses to the survey, please consider any of the following:
i. Reach out to your AP committee representative. They have a responsibility to advocate for your needs/ideas in the committee arena and can seek information on your behalf.
ii. Reach out to members of the AP Survey Redesign Taskforce
iii. Consider attending our AP Professional Development Subcommittee sponsored event on September 8, 2026, where Benjamin Walsh will present information about the theoretical framework and the survey development.
iv. If you have any questions about this study, you may contact Benjamin Walsh, Ph.D. at [email protected] or 616-331-7246. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, or concerns or complaints about the research or research team members, please contact the Office of Research Compliance & Integrity at Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI. Phone: 616-331-3197. E-mail: [email protected].
Yes. The AP Professional Development Subcommittee and the Redesign Taskforce are sponsoring an info-session event on September 8, 2026, where Dr. Walsh and Dr. Mendoza will present information about the survey redesign, theoretical framework, and the survey development.
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- Reach out to your AP committee representative.
- Reach out to members of the AP Survey Redesign Taskforce.
- Submit questions/ideas via the CMS Feedback Form on the AP Committee website (not anonymous).
- Contact Benjamin Walsh, Ph.D. — [email protected] or 616-331-7246.
- Office of Research Compliance & Integrity — [email protected] / 616-331-3197 / 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI (for questions about rights as a research participant).
- Info session: September 8, 2026, AP Professional Development Subcommittee event with Benjamin Walsh.
- Feedback deadline: December 15, 2026.