Indiana Schools on 'Great Colleges to Work For' List

For the third straight year, Manchester University achieved the distinction in the "4-Year Small College" group.

The University of Notre Dame appeared in the top 10 of the "4-Year Large College" category.

August 8, 2012

News Release

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - At great colleges like Manchester University, respect is a crucial benefit, says The Chronicle of Higher Education in announcing its "Honor Roll of 2012 Great Colleges to Work For." For the third-straight year, the leading source of news about colleges and universities is putting Manchester on a pedestal.

The Chronicle says Manchester University is a "Great College to Work For" because of its:

Teaching environment
Job satisfaction
Respect and appreciation
Confidence in senior leadership
Work/life balance
Professional/career development programs
Supervisor/department chair relationship
Tenure clarity and process
Collaborative governance

"Open channels of communication, along with concrete ways of appreciating employees and helping them balance work and home, are hallmarks of great academic workplaces," says The Chronicle in a feature about respect in the workplace.

"If staff members have to take, say, a month off for health problems, supervisors are flexible, and colleagues volunteer to cover the responsibilities," The Chronicle learned in its survey of MU faculty and exempt employees. "(Manchester) also sets aside money for employees who want to take classes or earn a certificate," the publication added.

"I completed my degree over 18 years while working full time at Manchester," said Melissa Grinstead, director of advancement services. Her education was tuition-free. The mother of two youngsters graduated with honors last spring, with a bachelor's degree in financial accounting. "The support I received from the faculty, my coworkers and the administration to balance work with school and family was the continual encouragement I needed to press onward and realize my dream."

The "Honor Roll" of 42 colleges and universities is based on a nationwide survey of more than 46,000 faculty, administrators and professional support staff at 294 institutions, plus demographics and workplace policies. Employee feedback was the primary factor for recognition. For more about the survey, visit The Chronicle online.

"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 of ModernThink LLC, a research and consulting firm on workplace issues.

"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 about Manchester University, visit www.manchester.edu.

Sources: Manchester University and The Chronicle of Higher Education