McPHERSON, Kan. – For the second year in a row, The Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual report on The Academic Workplace has named McPherson College to its “Great Colleges to Work For” Honor Roll. The Honor Roll is an elite group of institutions that are standouts within their respective enrollment sizes.
The Chronicle of Higher Education – one of the nation’s top trade publications for colleges and universities – surveyed 232 two-year and four-year institutions nationwide. Only 57 four-year institutions like McPherson College were selected for the Great Colleges to Work For list, and only 10 of those made the Honor Roll in the small-college category.
While this is the college’s second year on the Honor Roll, it is the college’s third year overall to be named to the Great Colleges to Work For list. This year, it was one of only five institutions nationwide to earn top honors in 11 or more of the report’s 12 categories:
- Collaborative Governance
- Compensation & Benefits
- Confidence in Senior Leadership
- Facilities, Workspace & Security
- Job Satisfaction
- Professional/Career Development Programs
- Respect and Appreciation
- Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship
- Teaching Environment
- Tenure Clarity & Process
- Work/Life Balance
“We are excited about being named one of the country’s best colleges to work for,” said McPherson College President Michael Schneider. “The fact that we’ve earned this distinction three years running – and twice been named to the Honor Roll – speaks volumes about the strong, collaborative relationships among our faculty, staff and administration.”
McPherson College recently began implementing a new strategic plan called Community by Design. According to Schneider, “It is a new approach to planning that puts the entire campus community at the heart of the process. Rather than a series of isolated planning committees, we worked together as a community to take aim at some of higher education’s largest challenges. Collectively, we’ve been more creative and innovative in developing the strategies and tactics that will shape our future.”
The Community by Design 2021 plan outlines four key priorities:
- Nurture entrepreneurial faculty and develop career-focused academic liberal arts programs.
- Design and articulate the McPherson College Community.
- Plan and build facilities that nurture, welcome and sustain a growing community.
- Engage the McPherson College constituency to build a $1 billion endowment.
“Our Community by Design plan has given us momentum to ensure our continued place as one of America’s great small colleges,” Schneider said. “It has launched us on a trajectory that will help us double our enrollment and eventually attract 1,500 full-time students who are serious about career-oriented liberal arts.”
The Great Colleges to Work For accolade comes on top of other recent honors earned by the college, including:
- US News and World Report Best Colleges Midwest 2017, ranking as the top Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference school
- Money Magazine 2017 Best Colleges, ranking as the top private college in Kansas
Great Colleges to Work For is one of the largest and most comprehensive workplace studies in higher education. For more information and to view the survey results, visit The Chronicle’s website at http://www.chronicle.com/interactives/greatcolleges17
ABOUT McPHERSON COLLEGE
McPherson College is committed to its mission to “Develop whole persons through scholarship, participation and service.” Founded by the Church of the Brethren, the four-year college is a liberal arts community producing leaders, creative thinkers and entrepreneurs through career-focused liberal arts programs. The college offers either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in 21 majors, with over 40 emphases and 10 pre-professional programs. Learn more atwww.mcpherson.edu
Janis Friesen
Friesen & Associates
7223 E Shoal Creek
Wichita, KS 67226
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