Nazareth College is one of just 150 colleges recognized in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2009 Great Colleges to Work For® program, according to the results of the second annual survey announced in a special supplement of The Chronicle today. http://chronicle.com/indepth/academicworkplace. The Chronicle’s Great Colleges to Work For® program recognizes small groups of colleges (based on enrollment size) for specific best practices and policies, such as compensation and benefits, faculty/administration relations, and confidence in senior leadership.
There are 26 recognition categories for four‐year institutions, and Nazareth College was recognized in five separate categories including:
Facilities and Security: appearance of campus is pleasing, and institution takes steps to ensure a secure environment; Professional/Career Development Programs: employees are giving the opportunity to develop skills and understand requirements to advance in their jobs; Confidence in Senior Leadership: leaders have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary for institutional success; Internal Communications: ideas are fully considered and issued debated for better results; and Tenure Clarity and Process: college has clear process in place describing tenure protocol.
“Our campus community is especially proud to earn national recognition among colleges and universities as a great place to work,” said Nazareth President Daan Braveman. “This wonderful achievement is a real tribute to the devoted efforts of our entire faculty and staff. It is noteworthy that Nazareth had one of the highest participation rates in this year’s Chronicle of Higher Education survey, which is a testament to our employees and their overall satisfaction with the work environment.”
More than 300 four‐ and two‐year colleges signed up for this year’s program, and 247 went through the entire survey process this spring. That’s nearly triple last year’s number of participants. The results are based on responses from nearly 41,000 administrators, faculty members, and staff members at those institutions.
“Despite the down economy, colleges are still hiring,” says Jeffrey J. Selingo, the editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education. “Through this program, The Chronicle is able to provide more information to job seekers about the colleges that are the leading innovators when it comes to providing a rewarding work environment.”
To administer the survey and analyze the results, The Chronicle turned to ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted numerous “Best Places to Work” programs, surveying hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide. The Great Colleges survey included a two-part assessment process: a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional‐support staff (the ModernThink Higher Education Insight Survey©) and an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies and practices from each institution. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback collected from the faculty and staff.
“We weren’t at all surprised to see such a substantial jump in the number of participants in this, the program’s second year,” says Richard K. Boyer, principal and managing partner of ModernThink. “Leaders within higher education are facing tough challenges on many fronts. The opportunity for national recognition draws institutions that are looking for a competitive edge in recruiting, retention and even research dollars. In addition, leaders are thirsty for reliable data that can help them make better decisions, prioritize scarce resources, and improve morale. As expected with a more established
recognition program, the number of participants wasn’t the only thing that went up. We also saw a commensurate jump in the caliber of the field.”
About The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is the No. 1 source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators. Based in Washington, D.C., The Chronicle has more than 60 full‐time writers and editors, as well as a dozen foreign correspondents positioned around the world. Published since 1966, The Chronicle publishes a daily Web site, a weekly newspaper, a weekly magazine of ideas, and produces newsletters and events. A nine‐time finalist for the National Magazine Awards, the newspaper has a weekly print readership of 350,000 and Web traffic of more
than 14 million pages a month at http://chronicle.com.
Founded in 1924, Nazareth College is a coeducational college with undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences and professional programs in health and human services, education, and management. The College is located on 150 scenic acres near Rochester, New York, and currently enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. Nazareth has a strong commitment to experience-based learning and civic engagement. In the past decade, Nazareth has produced 18 Fulbright recipients and two Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships. For more information on the College, visit www.naz.edu.
