The Faculty Senate on Wednesday received an overview of some of the key findings from a survey Northeastern faculty completed in 2013-14 to assess professors’ views on topics such as research and teaching.

The senate unanimously accepted a report by an ad hoc committee that examined the results of the Higher Education Research Institute faculty survey, which is administered every three years and serves as a tool for colleges and universities to gauge faculty’s thoughts on important and timely issues. Some of the survey results and findings were presented by ad hoc committee chair Felicia Lassk, associate professor of marketing in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business.

A summary of the results will be made available to all full-time Northeastern faculty, and the Faculty Senate agreed to recommend the Senate Agenda Committee convene an ad hoc committee to further explore the report findings.

“Survey research is great,” Lassk said. “But it doesn’t get at the why question. Why did respondents say what they did? So we thought it might be worthwhile for the Faculty Senate to look into and understand the why behind this data.”

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the senate approved a resolution to accept a report from the Senate Committee for Library Policy Oversight. Then, after the meeting adjourned, senators participated in a town hall to brainstorm ways to advance Northeastern’s doctoral programs—a strategic theme of the university’s next academic plan.