Howard Community College is Named 'Great College To Work For'

COLUMBIA, MD - From Howard Community College: For a record ninth consecutive year, Howard Community College has been named a Great College to Work For, according to the results from a comprehensive workplace survey released today by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Howard Community College (HCC) is the only Maryland community college and one of 22 community colleges across the country to have achieved this year’s recognition. With nine consecutive years of the award, HCC joins a prestigious group of three community colleges that have been recognized every year possible.

“Receiving the Great Colleges to Work For award nine years in a row is a testament to the quality and dedication of HCC faculty and staff,” said Dr. Kate Hetherington, president of HCC. “Faculty and staff work each day to live the HCC mission of providing pathways to success.”

The Chronicle of Higher Education recognized HCC for success in the following categories: collaborative governance; confidence in senior leadership; facilities, workspace, and security; professional/career development programs; respect and appreciation; teaching environment (faculty only). It also selected HCC for the Honor Roll, a special distinction given to the colleges and universities that received the greatest number of category citations in comparison to other institutions of the same size.

The Chronicle’s Great Colleges to Work For survey is the largest and most comprehensive workplace study in higher education. This national recognition program recognizes colleges and universities that receive top ratings from employees on workplace practices and policies. The results are a two-part assessment process: a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and staff, and an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.

“Ten years in, The Chronicle’s Great Colleges to Work For distinction is well known by academic jobseekers as a sign that an institution’s employees are valued and given opportunities for growth even when they face financial constraints,” said Liz McMillen, editor of The Chronicle. “Any college or university that’s on the list is showing that they emphasize one of their most valuable assets: their faculty and staff.”

To administer the survey and analyze the results, The Chronicle worked with ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted numerous “Best Places to Work” programs, surveying hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide.

“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 all the results of the survey, visit The Chronicle’s website at http://www.chronicle.com//interactives/greatcolleges17.

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