Enjoying one’s job also translates into having a stronger appreciation for one’s employer and a tighter bond with the organization’s vision, mission and mode of operation.
Based on a recent survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education, this is the case at Lee University. In its fifth annual report on The Academic Workplace, the widely respected publication has listed the Cleveland education institution as a “Great College to Work For.”
The Lee University listing places the local school in elite company because only 103 of 294 higher education campuses surveyed were named to the prestigious honor. The annual survey included 46,000 college and university employees across the country.
The impressive recognition is considered an astute gauge of a university’s overall health because its criteria are all-encompassing; plus, “Great Colleges to Work For” is accepted as one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the nation.
The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process. It includes an institutional audit that captures demographics and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators and professional support staff. The primary factor in determining whether a collegiate institution is to be included on the lofty list is employee feedback.
To administer the survey and analyze final results, The Chronicle worked with ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted multiple “Best Places to Work” programs. This research has included the surveying of hundreds of thousands of employees across the country.
It is especially noteworthy to consider the categories in which employees were questioned. In Lee’s case, the growing university won honors in 10 categories. They are Collaborative Governance; Confidence in Senior Leadership; Facilities, Workplace & Security; Job Satisfaction; Professional and Career Development Programs; Respect and Appreciation; Supervisor or Department Chair Relationship; Teaching Environment; Tenure Clarity and Process; and Work and Life Balance.
What do these positive results in so many subjective categories say about our Cleveland and Bradley County hometown community’s four-year university?
They say Lee University operates in a partnership between faculty, administrators and the president’s office.
They say Lee University professors and general workforce have faith in Dr. Paul Conn and his cabinet of senior leaders.
They say Lee University is a beautiful campus with quality facilities where employees feel safe at work.
They say Lee University employees — from maintenance crews to administrative assistants to professors to department heads — share a common thread called job satisfaction.
They say anyone and everyone associated with the Lee University operation feels a strong sense of being respected and appreciated.
They say Lee University faculty and staff members share a positive relationship with supervisors and department chairs.
They say Lee University employees are provided a progressive path for professional and career development.
They say Lee University offers an unmatched teaching environment based on facilities, provision of appropriate infrastructure and individual talent.
They say Lee University professors understand tenure expectations and the process for attaining it.
They say Lee University promotes a proper balance between work and home life for its employees.
Cleveland and Bradley County insiders for years have felt Lee University offers a unique and wholesome experience for its students, its employees and the community.
Now the rest of the world knows.
We congratulate Lee University, and all who are associated with the school, on this latest honor.
