Employee Communication Preferences Survey
Spring 2007
Effectiveness of Various Communication Methods in Helping to Understand Current News and Events
    Effectiveness
Very ineffective (1) Somewhat ineffective (2) Somewhat effective (3) Very effective (4)
Communication Method Employee Type n % n % n % n %
Electronic newsletters 
Classified Staff 3 2.0% 21 14.0% 56 37.3% 70 46.7%
Part-time Faculty 0 0.0% 3 10.0% 10 33.3% 17 56.7%
Full-time Faculty 14 3.7% 45 11.9% 156 41.2% 164 43.3%
Administrators 0 0.0% 5 18.5% 12 44.4% 10 37.0%
All Respondents 18 3.1% 74 12.6% 235 40.0% 261 44.4%
E-mail list-servs 
Classified Staff 7 4.9% 12 8.5% 59 41.5% 64 45.1%
Part-time Faculty 2 7.4% 2 7.4% 12 44.4% 11 40.7%
Full-time Faculty 26 7.0% 47 12.7% 154 41.7% 142 38.5%
Administrators 1 3.6% 3 10.7% 17 60.7% 7 25.0%
All Respondents 36 6.3% 65 11.4% 244 42.9% 224 39.4%
Paper memos 
Classified Staff 47 33.3% 44 31.2% 34 24.1% 16 11.3%
Part-time Faculty 8 28.6% 7 25.0% 9 32.1% 4 14.3%
Full-time Faculty 101 27.7% 113 31.0% 111 30.5% 39 10.7%
Administrators 4 14.3% 11 39.3% 10 35.7% 3 10.7%
All Respondents 161 28.5% 176 31.2% 165 29.3% 62 11.0%
Paper flyers 
Classified Staff 43 30.3% 42 29.6% 46 32.4% 11 7.7%
Part-time Faculty 7 23.3% 9 30.0% 8 26.7% 6 20.0%
Full-time Faculty 111 30.2% 120 32.6% 100 27.2% 37 10.1%
Administrators 4 14.8% 11 40.7% 12 44.4% 0 0.0%
All Respondents 166 29.1% 184 32.3% 166 29.1% 54 9.5%
PSU Web-site 
Classified Staff 9 5.9% 26 17.1% 67 44.1% 50 32.9%
Part-time Faculty 1 3.3% 6 20.0% 12 40.0% 11 36.7%
Full-time Faculty 45 11.7% 84 21.8% 154 40.0% 102 26.5%
Administrators 2 7.1% 6 21.4% 14 50.0% 6 21.4%
All Respondents 58 9.7% 123 20.6% 247 41.3% 170 28.4%
Broadcast announcements via voice-mail 
Classified Staff 34 25.6% 24 18.0% 35 26.3% 40 30.1%
Part-time Faculty 11 52.4% 5 23.8% 3 14.3% 2 9.5%
Full-time Faculty 80 22.6% 66 18.6% 96 27.1% 112 31.6%
Administrators 4 15.4% 3 11.5% 8 30.8% 11 42.3%
All Respondents 129 24.0% 99 18.4% 143 26.6% 166 30.9%
Broadcast announcements via e-mail 
Classified Staff 10 6.9% 18 12.4% 51 35.2% 66 45.5%
Part-time Faculty 1 4.0% 3 12.0% 9 36.0% 12 48.0%
Full-time Faculty 20 5.4% 48 13.0% 155 41.9% 147 39.7%
Administrators 0 0.0% 3 11.1% 14 51.9% 10 37.0%
All Respondents 32 5.6% 72 12.6% 230 40.4% 236 41.4%
Informal conversations with colleagues or 
co-workers  Classified Staff 22 15.3% 35 24.3% 62 43.1% 25 17.4%
Part-time Faculty 5 17.9% 5 17.9% 17 60.7% 1 3.6%
Full-time Faculty 41 10.8% 84 22.1% 170 44.7% 85 22.4%
Administrators 3 11.1% 7 25.9% 13 48.1% 4 14.8%
All Respondents 71 12.2% 131 22.5% 264 45.4% 116 19.9%
Department or staff meetings 
Classified Staff 21 14.7% 30 21.0% 52 36.4% 40 28.0%
Part-time Faculty 4 22.2% 3 16.7% 7 38.9% 4 22.2%
Full-time Faculty 28 7.6% 75 20.4% 155 42.2% 109 29.7%
Administrators 2 7.1% 5 17.9% 13 46.4% 8 28.6%
All Respondents 55 9.8% 114 20.4% 228 40.8% 162 29.0%
Informal conversation with your supervisor
 or department chair  Classified Staff 20 14.4% 33 23.7% 54 38.8% 32 23.0%
Part-time Faculty 6 23.1% 4 15.4% 12 46.2% 4 15.4%
Full-time Faculty 47 12.9% 75 20.5% 149 40.8% 94 25.8%
Administrators 3 11.5% 7 26.9% 11 42.3% 5 19.2%
All Respondents 76 13.6% 120 21.5% 226 40.4% 137 24.5%
Administrative briefings 
Classified Staff 19 18.4% 33 32.0% 33 32.0% 18 17.5%
Part-time Faculty 5 38.5% 4 30.8% 2 15.4% 2 15.4%
Full-time Faculty 47 17.2% 82 30.0% 95 34.8% 49 17.9%
Administrators 6 22.2% 3 11.1% 13 48.1% 5 18.5%
All Respondents 77 18.5% 122 29.3% 144 34.5% 74 17.7%
Brown bag lunches or discussion  
roundtables Classified Staff 24 23.5% 35 34.3% 29 28.4% 14 13.7%
Part-time Faculty 6 35.3% 3 17.6% 7 41.2% 1 5.9%
Full-time Faculty 65 22.8% 106 37.2% 82 28.8% 32 11.2%
Administrators 6 27.3% 9 40.9% 7 31.8% 0 0.0%
All Respondents 101 23.7% 154 36.1% 125 29.3% 47 11.0%
Campus-wide events such as the 
symposium or convocation  Classified Staff 22 22.0% 33 33.0% 35 35.0% 10 10.0%
Part-time Faculty 5 26.3% 2 10.5% 8 42.1% 4 21.1%
Full-time Faculty 63 19.4% 99 30.5% 112 34.5% 51 15.7%
Administrators 4 16.0% 4 16.0% 15 60.0% 2 8.0%
  All Respondents 95 20.2% 139 29.5% 170 36.1% 67 14.2%