Metropolitan State University of Denver employees continue to report strong engagement and connection to their work, while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, collaboration and communication across the University, according to results from the 2026 Employee Engagement and Leader Effectiveness Survey.
The annual engagement survey, conducted Feb. 11-25 and completed by 72% of employees, provides faculty and staff members a confidential way to share feedback and helps guide Universitywide priorities, including MSU Denver’s Strategic Plan Pillar V goal to be recognized as a most desired place of employment.
“We continue to move the needle towards this recognition by 2030,” said Stacy Dvergsdal, associate vice president for Administration and chief human resources officer, who noted a 7.5% increase this year in the number of respondents who feel valued as employees.
A strong and steady foundation
Overall engagement remains solid, with a 71.4% favorable score, a slight increase from 2025. Employees continue to express high levels of pride and purpose in their work:
- Nearly 95% of respondents said they are proud of the work they do.
- Nearly 94% reported a strong understanding of how their roles support MSU Denver’s mission.
- 93% believe their work has a positive impact on the University.
These results reflect a consistent strength for the University: employees motivated by meaningful work and a shared commitment to students, said Charles Kibort, executive director of Human Resources Operations and Strategy.
“Our employees clearly care deeply about what they do and the impact they have on students,” he said. “That sense of purpose is a real strength for MSU Denver, and it gives us a strong foundation to build on as we continue improving the employee experience.”
Opportunities to improve
While the overall engagement index scores are among the highest in the survey, there is a notable difference between overall engagement score by employee type:
- 74% of administrative staff rated this category favorably.
- Just 66% of full-time faculty had a favorable response.
Several other areas remain persistent challenges. For example, just 39% of employees said MSU Denver does things efficiently and well. Other opportunities for improvement include:
- Addressing concerns related to compensation
- Enhancing interdepartmental cooperation
- Increasing employee recognition within branches
- Strengthening communication across the University
While some of these areas saw modest improvement, they remain among the lowest scoring topics in the survey, indicating a need to focus on efficiency, Kibort said.
Rating managers, senior leadership
Survey results continue to be strong for managers, reflecting positive relationships between them and their direct reports.
- Nearly 88% of respondents said their manager values them.
- 87% said their managers encourage professional development.
- 86% rated their manager an effective leader.
Meanwhile, results show that senior leaders — the president and her direct reports – have made significant gains in earning employees’ trust. But there continues to be opportunity for improvement in this area:
- Nearly 58% of respondents said they trust senior leadership, up from 54% last year.
- 56% said senior leadership communicates openly about important matters, up from 51%.
- 64% reported that senior leadership provides clear direction for the University’s future, up from 54%.
What’s next?
Human Resources, which partnered with the University’s Data and Analytics team to conduct the survey, released its findings this week and will deliver branch and department results this month.
Along with those results departments will receive a guide to create their Engagement and Leader Action Plans, outlining actions employees and their managers will take to address areas of opportunity that were identified for their specific groups. Action plans are due June 15.
Meanwhile, you can contact your senior HR Partner to learn more about the survey process or to share your thoughts.
