July 19, 2018
Three for three: SVSU again named a ‘Great College to Work For’
Saginaw Valley State University’s supportive environment for faculty and staff has resulted in the school being selected as a “Great College to Work For” for the third consecutive year by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a top trade publication for colleges and universities.
SVSU was the only public university in Michigan to receive the coveted designation in 2018.
The distinction was announced earlier this week when The Chronicle published its 11th annual report on The Academic Workplace. SVSU was among 84 higher education institutions — out of 253 institutions that applied — to achieve the honor this year. SVSU has earned the distinction each of the three times the university has applied.
SVSU President Donald Bachand said to be selected for the honor three years in a row speaks to how the university community is deeply dedicated to serving students.
“We have longstanding commitment to empowering faculty and staff to pursue initiatives that improve teaching, learning and service opportunities for students,” Bachand said.
“We have worked to build and sustain a strong culture of growth and opportunity, even in the face of challenges. I am proud of our collective efforts to not settle for mediocrity, but to instead push to be better and to do better for our students and for the communities we serve.”
SVSU was honored in the same four categories for the second consecutive year: compensation and benefits; facilities, workspace and security; teaching environment; and tenure clarity and process.
The survey featured components including a questionnaire about institutional characteristics and a faculty/staff questionnaire about individuals’ evaluations of their institutions. The selection process also included an analysis of demographic data and workplace policies at each institution.
The questionnaires were administered online in March and April across SVSU, which employs more than 750 full-time faculty and staff members.
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.
Great Colleges to Work For is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the nation. For more information and to view all the results of the survey, visit The Chronicle’s website at www.chronicle.com/interactives/greatcolleges18.