September 20, 2019

SVSU is 4 for 4 in being selected as Great College to Work For

Saginaw Valley State University’s welcoming campus atmosphere and empowering environment has resulted in the institution's designation as a "Great College to Work For" for the fourth consecutive year.

SVSU was one of 84 higher education institutions named to the list released online and to appear in a special insert in The Chronicle for Higher Education Friday, Sept. 20. The Great Colleges to Work For program was co-founded in 2008 as a partnership between The Chronicle of Higher Education and ModernThink, a strategic human capital consulting firm. The program was funded this year by ModernThink, which shared the results in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Here at SVSU, we are dedicated to providing first-rate resources to our dedicated faculty and staff,” said SVSU President Donald J. Bachand. “This results in a culture of professional growth and personal satisfaction that strengthens the opportunities we provide our students and community partners. I am proud of this campus-wide commitment to excellence and pleased to see our university continues its reputation as a ‘Great College to Work For.’”

SVSU was the only public university in Michigan recognized as a "Great College to Work For" in 2019. The university – which employs about 750 people full time – has made the list each of the four years it applied.

Each institution on the list is recognized in specific categories. SVSU was honored in the same four categories for the third consecutive year: compensation and benefits; facilities, workspace and security; teaching environment; and tenure clarity and process. The university was also recognized for the first time in a new category: collaborative governance. 

The list was determined based on a survey of 236 higher education institutions as well as analysis of demographic data and workplace policy. The survey – distributed earlier this year to staff and faculty members online – examines individuals’ evaluations of their respective institution.

“The institutions recognized in this year's Great Colleges to Work For program don't wait for problems to occur to pay attention to their people,” said Richard K. Boyer, managing partner at ModernThink. “Conversely, they're intentional in being good stewards of their institutions’ cultures and shaping the day-to-day experience of their faculty and staff to the ultimate benefit of their students.”

For more information about “Great Colleges to Work For,” visit www.GreatCollegesProgram.com.