(July 27, 2010) – Lone Star College System has again been named as one of the best colleges in the country to work for as part of an annual survey published in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The “Great Colleges to Work For 2010” survey was based on responses from more than 42,500 administrators, faculty members, and staff members at 277 institutions, including community colleges, four-year colleges and universities. It was published in the July 26 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, its third annual report on the academic workplace.
LSCS was also named to the publication’s prestigious honor roll list for its high approval in so many workplace categories. Of the 277 educational institutions surveyed, only 97 were ranked as “Great Colleges to Work For” and additionally, only 39 of those were named to the honor roll.
Colleges were recognized in groups based on enrollment size for specific best practices and policies.
LSCS was recognized for its best practices and policies in seven of 12 possible categories for community colleges with 10,000 or more students enrolled. It was one of only nine community colleges nationwide that received honor roll status and was the only two-year college in Texas. Other Texas honor roll colleges included Rice University, Abilene Christian University and University of the Incarnate Word.
“This is a great affirmation of Lone Star College. We work hard to be the college of choice not only for our students, but also for our employees,” said Dr. Richard Carpenter, chancellor. “We enjoy the reputation of being a dynamic learning community that values the needs and contributions of every individual. In that sense everyone contributes to the success of Lone Star College and helps to make this a great place to work.”
LSCS was recognized in seven categories that included: professional/career-development programs; teaching environment; facilities, workspace and security; job satisfaction; work/life balance; supervisor/department-chair relationship; and diversity.
“With the Great Colleges program, The Chronicle can provide even more of the vital information our readers rely on – unbiased reporting on which colleges are being innovative in their workplace practices,” said Jeffrey J. Selingo, editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The assessment, which was administered by ModernThink LLC, a human-resources consulting company in Wilmington, Del., was a two-part process: a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff, and an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies and practices from each institution.
According to The Chronicle, the primary factor in deciding whether an institution received Great College to Work For recognition was the employee feedback. Questionnaires included participation by LSCS personnel.
As part of the category-specific best practices, LSCS was noted for giving employees “the opportunity to develop skills and understand requirements to advance in their careers.” Faculty members also noted that LSCS “recognizes innovative and high-quality teaching.”
In addition, LSCS scored high by “making a concerted effort to create a welcoming and fair environment for all its employees,” the survey reported.
The Chronicle of Higher Education noted that the Great Colleges to Work For is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view results of the survey, visit The Chronicle’s Web site at http://chronicle.com/academicworkplace
With more than 62,000 students in credit classes in spring 2010, and a total enrollment of nearly 85,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and the second largest and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas. LSCS consists of five colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, and LSC-Tomball, six centers, LSC-University Park, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.
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