As the University of Utah works toward its Impact 2030 goals, promoting well-being is a core value. The U is striving to not only enrich society and improve teaching outcomes, but also to enhance the workplace and promote the professional well-being of the people who are dedicated to the university.
One initiative designed to help the U promote wellbeing among its employees will roll out this fall: the Better U Survey. This survey has been administered on the Health Sciences campus and in hospitals and clinics for two years, and on Oct. 15, 2025, it will expand to include the main campus as well.
A team with representatives from across the campus has meticulously designed this process to gather valuable insights from faculty and staff in all roles and levels across campus. The Better U survey aims to help teams identify areas for improvement as well as learn from teams that have a high level of professional well-being by measuring factors such as engagement, well-being, and belonging, along with drivers that may be contributing to those outcomes.
“My hope for Better U is that it helps us build a resilient organization by providing a deeper understanding of what it means to work at the University of Utah, highlighting both the successes and the opportunities,” said Chief Wellness Officer Amy Locke. “This process works if teams and leaders commit to acting on the results and everyone commits to sharing their voice.”
The survey will be confidential, so respondents can feel comfortable answering questions honestly. Campuswide, every supervisor of five or more respondents on campus will receive access to a customized dashboard with their team’s overall data. This will give them the opportunity to identify areas to improve team culture, functioning, and wellness. For the main campus, the Better U team, in partnership with University Analytics and Institutional Reporting (UAIR), will analyze the collective results. U of U Health teams will be able to use embedded analytics tools, as well as in-person support from UUHC Human Resources’ Organizational Development Consultants.
“We’ve used this organizational development support model for several years to support our Hospitals and Clinics leaders, and we will expand to support all Health Sciences,” said UUHC Chief Human Resources Officer Christian Sherwood.
On both campuses, managers will have access to tools to help them create individualized plans for their teams based on survey feedback. On the Health Academics and Hospitals & Clinics side, this process has already led to tangible improvements, with teams using results to strengthen culture, improve communication and support wellbeing. Ultimately, the driver behind this survey is to ensure that faculty and staff at the U are seen, heard and valued; empowered to improve; and find meaning in their work.
U Chief Behavioral Health Officer Philip Osteen said, “Better U gives us the information we need to begin identifying activities and frameworks to support administrators in creating employee-informed health-oriented workspaces that help us thrive as members of the U community.”
Each employee will receive an email with a personalized survey link on Oct. 15, 2025. Surveys should only take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete, and results will be available within a few months of the survey closing.
A Better U email address for each campus has been created for people who have questions about the survey. For main campus employees, email betteru-campus@utah.edu. For health academics and hospitals and clinics, send inquiries to betteru-health@hsc.utah.edu. The BetterU website also has more information.
