Jean Brooks, a development officer for Duke Law, works as a volunteer at a Duke basketball game. The university was cited in several categories as a "Great College to Work For." | Megan Morr
Duke Named a “Great College to Work For”
Chronicle of Higher Education recognizes university
Monday, July 14, 2008
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DURHAM, NC -- Duke University was named Monday one of the “2008 Great Colleges to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Duke was recognized in five of 27 categories for best practices and policies in the areas of professional/career development, job satisfaction, housing assistance, supervisor/department chair relationship and post-retirement benefits.
Clint Davidson, vice president for human resources at Duke, said that the recognition reflected much work over the years at Duke to become a better employer.
“While we are justifiably proud of The Chronicle’s recognition, there is work still to be done to sustain, let alone further enhance, our reputation as a preferred employer,” Davidson said. “The fact that Duke is now included on such lists is a sign that we are on the right path and making progress.”
The results of The Chronicle’s first “Great Colleges” program included more than 15,000 administrators, faculty and staff members at 89 colleges and universities.
Duke's Best Practices
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Duke's involvement in affordable housing programs in Durham helped employee Robin Gunn find her first home. |
To read more about Duke's work in the cited areas, click the links below:
Career Development: Jump-start Your Career
Housing Assistance: A Piece of the American Dream
Job Satisfaction: Caroline Lattimore
Supervisor Relations: Program Encourages Staff to Become Supervisors
Post-retirement Plans: Will You Save Enough Money?
In his editor’s note accompanying the announcement, Jeffrey J. Selingo wrote that the program was developed “to create academe’s version of Fortune’s popular 100 Best Companies to Work For issue.” The institutions were not ranked; they were recognized according to specific best practices and policies based on the size of their workforce.
The assessment process for the “Great Colleges” program, which was administered by an outside firm, included an analysis of demographic data and workplace policies at each participating college or university, as well as surveying a random sample of faculty and staff. Duke was the only school in North Carolina cited in the survey’s "large" category (2,500 or more employees.)
The announcement, which will be featured in the July 18 print issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, included a profile on Duke’s professional development programs, including the Professional Development Institute and programs for assistant professors and faculty serving as department chairs or other administrative roles.
“We want everybody to have the information and the skills they need to develop their careers in the direction that they want to go,” said Nancy Allen, vice provost for faculty diversity and faculty development at Duke.
Duke has recently been recognized as a best employer by a number of other organizations representing a diverse range of interests, from family-friendly and preventive health to the needs of IT professionals and academic researchers.
