Baylor University Again Named to Elite Honor Roll in ‘Great Colleges to Work For’ List

July 21, 2014
Chronicle - Great colleges to Work For 2014

University receives Honor Roll designation from The Chronicle of Higher Education for fourth consecutive year


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Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275

WACO, Texas (July 21, 2014) - For the fourth year in a row, Baylor University joined an elite group of universities named to The Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2014 Honor Roll as one of the country’s “Great Colleges to Work For.”

Of 42 national universities awarded Honor Roll status, Baylor is one of only two universities in the large university category (10,000 or more students) to achieve recognition in 11 of the 12 categories honoring specific best practices and policies. (The University of Maryland-Baltimore County is the other honored large-category institution.)

The results, released online July 21 in The Chronicle’s annual report on “The Academic Workplace,” are based on a survey of more than 43,000 administrators, faculty members and professional support staff at 278 colleges and universities. In all, only 92 of those institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition, with 42 named to the Honor Roll. Results are reported for small, medium and large institutions.

“We are delighted to learn today that Baylor has once again been recognized by The Chronicle of Higher Education as a ‘Great College to Work For,’” said Baylor President and Chancellor Ken Starr. “What makes this honor so important is that it is based on the input provided by our own faculty and staff. As a result, this recognition confirms plainly and publicly what all of Baylor Nation already knows: Those who choose to work at Baylor University are extraordinary individuals, scholars and professionals who love what they do and who are motivated by the University’s significant mission, inspired by a calling and driven, as a community, to serve our students, one another and our hurting world. We are so proud of all the men and women who express their talents in support of Baylor, and we celebrate with them each day the joy of this kingdom work to which we have been entitled.”
Baylor was cited by The Chronicle for excellence in:
• Collaborative Governance: Faculty members are appropriately involved in decisions related to academic programs.
• Professional/Career-Development Programs: Employees are given the opportunity to develop skills and understand requirements to advance in their careers.
• Teaching Environment: Faculty members say the institution recognizes innovative and high-quality teaching.
• Compensation and Benefits: Pay is fair, and benefits meet the needs of employees.
• Facilities, Workspaces, and Security: Facilities adequately meet needs, the appearance of the campus is pleasing, and the institution takes steps to provide a secure environment.
• Job Satisfaction and Support: Provides insight into the satisfaction with job fit, autonomy, and resources.
• Work/Life Balance: Policies give employees the flexibility to manage their personal lives.
• Confidence in Senior Leadership: Leaders have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for institutional success.
• Supervisor or Department-Chair Relationship: Supervisor makes expectations clear and solicits ideas.
• Respect and Appreciation: Employees are regularly recognized for their contributions.
• Tenure Clarity and Process (four-year colleges only): Requirements for tenure are clear, faculty members say.

Baylor was first recognized in 2009 by The Chronicle as a “Great College to Work For.” In 2011, 2012 and 2013, the University received even greater recognition when it was elevated to Honor Roll status.

Now in its seventh year, the Great Colleges program has become one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. 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 a Great College to Work For recognition was the employee feedback.
The Chronicle’s reporting shows that more colleges and universities are seeking ways to improve their workplaces,” said Liz McMillen, editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education. “The ‘formula for success’ continues to evolve, yet there are certain common features among institutions that achieve significant levels of worker satisfaction. The Great Colleges to Work For program allows our readers to learn about the colleges that seem to be getting it right.”

“It’s easier to be a great workplace during good times, but it’s when times are tough that the commitment to workplace quality really gets tested,” said Richard K. Boyer, principal and managing partner, ModernThink LLC. “And those institutions that measure up during times of economic hardship reinforce their already strong cultures and put even more distance between them and their peer institutions for whom they compete for talent.”

For more information and to view the results of the survey, visit https://www.chronicle.com/article/great-colleges-to-work-for-2014/#id=big-table.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

ABOUT THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The Chronicle of Higher Education Inc. is the leading source of news, data, and jobs for the higher-education and nonprofit communities. The Chronicle of Higher Education, the company's flagship publication, has more than 270,000 print and digital readers weekly, and reaches 2.1 million college and university faculty members and administrators online every month. The Chronicle has been published since 1966 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with an editorial staff of more than 75 reporters, editors, visual artists, and Web producers, plus 15 correspondents stationed around the world.

ABOUT MODERNTHINK LLC

As a research and consulting leader in workplace issues, ModernThink has supported a wide variety of “Best Place to Work” initiatives. Through these programs, the firm has gained substantial survey and industry expertise, including specific insight into higher education. ModernThink knows what it takes to build a great place to work and shares that know-how with its clients. The ModernThink team of organizational development experts is dedicated to helping colleges follow through and capitalize on feedback from employees and benchmark data from peers to drive meaningful change at their institutions. Learn more at http://www.modernthink.com.