The survey was sent to the 42 participants of the Nov. 2-5 trip to Qatar, as well as 802 faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences and 104 faculty members in the Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Among trip participants, 69 percent responded "definitely yes" when asked if UNC should establish the program, and another 26 percent indicated a somewhat positive reaction to the program. Of the trip participants, 2 percent were undecided and another 2 percent indicated a somewhat negative reaction. No one responded that the University should "definitely not" pursue the venture.
The survey, conducted by the UNC Office of Institutional Research, was sent via e-mail last Friday requesting faculty to respond by Tuesday.
Among faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences and the business school, reaction was mixed.
In the College of Arts and Sciences, more respondents, at 29 percent, said "definitely not" to the program compared to the 25 percent that said "definitely yes."
While 31 percent of faculty in the business school answered "definitely not," 31 percent responded with "definitely yes."
Despite the mixed message of these results, Faculty Council Chairwoman Sue Estroff said she is not at all surprised by the results of the survey. "This survey basically confirms for us what we already knew," Estroff said. "It is still not clear whether we have a definitive take on the issue."
Business Professor Jennifer Conrad, who attended the trip to Qatar, said she believes the survey might help Chancellor James Moeser form an opinion on the issue but thinks that more could be done.
"In the end, it will be the chancellor's decision, and how he interprets the information provided by the survey," she said. "But I think (the survey) is not the only way to collect the reactions of the faculty."