Faculty, Staff Confirm University Rating in 'Great Colleges to Work For'

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas is one of the nation's "Great Colleges to Work For" according to U of A faculty, staff and administrators who responded to the Chronicle of Higher Education's fifth annual survey. The university was one of only 103 colleges and universities to make the list and one of only two schools in the Southeastern Conference. The university was recognized in the category of "Confidence in Senior Leadership."

“It doesn’t surprise me,” said David Gay, University Professor of economics and a former chair of the Faculty Senate. “We have an exceptionally engaged leadership team on this campus – with focus, drive, direction and the ability to enlist people to support the university’s goals. There is a feeling across campus that we are all working together, using the resources that we have, to provide well-balanced educational opportunities for the people of our state.”

The results of the survey also reflect strong support from the university staff. Angela Black is a former chair of the Staff Senate, which represents nearly 3,600 university employees, and she works with university administrators to address staff concerns related to the quality of work life on campus. She said the “Confidence in Senior Leadership” ranking has been earned.

"In general, good decisions always inspire confidence and loyalty, and I think we’ve seen a lot of good decisions in the past few years," Black said. "During the economic crisis and budget shortfalls, the administration chose to avoid furloughs. They’ve supported scholarships for staff, made the inclement weather policy more equitable, lobbied on our behalf when the governor cut career service payments, and carved out time in official campus communications to address staff-related issues. Throughout all of the recent changes, staff have been invited to the table and directly involved in programs that have improved the quality of our working environment. By demonstrating a confidence in us and what we do, it’s natural to have confidence in them."

The rating in the "Great Colleges to Work For" survey follows the U of A’s recognition in the Governor’s Work-Life Balance Awards, which are given to Arkansas employers that use human resource policies and strategies to support a healthy work-life balance for employees. The university has received awards in each of the 10 years since the award was created, and this year earned an Ambassador Award, given for setting the standard for other Arkansas employers.

“The truth is the University of Arkansas is an excellent place to work, and the goal is to make it a great one,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “It is very satisfying to get this ‘vote of confidence’ from the faculty and staff, telling us we are moving in the right direction, but there is obviously still much more to be done.”

The Chronicle surveyed nearly 300 colleges and universities across the country this spring. Each institution was asked to fill out an informational questionnaire and provide a random sample of faculty, staff and administrators. The University of Arkansas provided a random, representative sample of 600 contacts to the Chronicle and ModernThink LLC, the human-resource consulting company that conducted the survey in partnership with the publication. The university had a 38 percent response rate to the survey, which is considered strong and representative for the purposes of this survey.

The Chronicle rating continues a pattern of national recognition for the University of Arkansas, which includes being classified in the top 2 percent of universities nationwide by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, as well as being named the only top-tier institution in the state by U.S. News & World Report.